


Worlds Collide

by hetawholockvengerstuck



Category: Brave (2012), How to Train Your Dragon (2010), Rise of the Guardians (2012), Tangled (2010)
Genre: F/M, I hope it's nothing you've ever seen before, I know everyone is doing this but I wanted to try, One-Sided Love, Rapunzel Love Triangle, Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-22
Updated: 2013-07-08
Packaged: 2017-12-09 03:47:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/769612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hetawholockvengerstuck/pseuds/hetawholockvengerstuck
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A flood. A fire. A beast. A break.</p><p>Four young children met an early death, out of sight of the world. But the Moon saw, and the Moon took pity. </p><p>Four worlds, which should never have collided. Four villains, which should never have met. </p><p>And four reasons. Now, the lost child, the princess, the Viking, and the archer will have to face those reasons. They will have to battle fear, love, and the ghosts of their pasts. And they will have to find the answer to the most important question of all: For whom do they fight?</p><p>(Formerly titled "A Reason To Change")<br/>(On hiatus)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Sharp Knife

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! I am attempting a cliche: a Big Four crossover. I know what you're thinking: what makes your story any different from everyone else's? Well, I don't know. I haven't read any other Big Four crossovers. I've read Mericcup, but not Big Four. I'm hoping that means I won't be influenced.
> 
> Furthermore, the time flow. It's sketchy. You'll see what I mean. But it will make sense eventually.  
> I won't be writing out accents, because I think they distract from the dialogue. 
> 
> The chapters will all be lyrics from songs or lines from poems. This chapter is a line from "If I Die Young" by The Band Perry.

**_~Rapunzel~_ **

**_  
_**Even before they started running, Rapunzel knew they weren't going to make it. The water was moving too fast, and the wooden beams were falling too quickly. Her hair was weighing them both down.

She glanced over her shoulder at Flynn. He was scared, she could tell, but he was trying to be brave for her sake. She couldn't tell if he knew they were going to die. 

If it were just herself, maybe Rapunzel could have dealt with it. This was punishment for leaving the tower, for disobeying her mother. But she was bringing Flynn down, too. He would die because she'd made a stupid mistake.

He smiled at her. Her last thought before the waves and wood came crashing down was, _I'm sorry._

///////

Her eyes opened to brilliant white stars and an even brighter moon. She twitched her arms, and felt water move. Not much water; just a bit. The majority of it must have drained out, leaving only a shallow layer of it over the ground.

Rapunzel turned her head, painfully aware of the pounding headache she was experiencing. There was a cracked wooden beam to her left, and underneath it, motionless, was Flynn.

All weariness was swept away, and Rapunzel shot up and crawled over to him. "Flynn? Flynn! Please, say something. Anything!"

It was no use. Anyone could see that he was dead.

Rapunzel tied her hair around the beam and tugged it, inch by inch, off of Flynn's body. When that was done she untied her hair and ran back to his side to wrap it around his body.

_Please, please let this work..._

She began to sing, pouring her soul into it. She had never needed her hair more than this moment.

Flynn's body began to heal; his bruises, cuts, head injuries, all were fading. But she still couldn't bring him back.

Rapunzel unwrapped Flynn and held him close. "I'm so, so sorry," she sobbed.

Far away, the moon illuminated the path of another figure.

_**~Hiccup~** _

_**  
**_He knew it was a stupid idea. No one could take on the Green Death alone. It was suicide.

But that was what Hiccup was trying to do. Even though he had Toothless by his side, he wasn't reassured. He knew that he might simply be dragging his friend to his demise.

But the Green Death was ready, and the village wasn't. It might take a few more hours; it might take a few more days. They could take all the extra time they could get.

So Hiccup was acting as decoy, drawing the monstrous beast's attention for a few precious moments. 

He knew that no one back at the village would miss him. Stoic had sent him to his room, and had no reason to believe that Hiccup wouldn't do as he was told. But Hiccup knew what would happen if the Vikings attempted to take on the Green Death now, and he knew that this was his only chance to do something useful.

As the fireball rolled upwards, unavoidable, Hiccup realized what he had to do. With Hiccup on his back, Toothless would never be able to get away; if he was alone, though, the dragon might have a chance of survival. Hiccup could only hope that his friend wouldn't follow him.

Before Toothless could clue in to Hiccup's plan, the boy unstrapped himself and jumped.

///////

He was cold. The bright orange and red that Hiccup expected to see through closed eyelids wasn't there; instead, there was only darkness.

Hiccup cracked his eyes opened and let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. The moon shone brightly on the rocky ground around him. There was no sign of the Green Death; at the same time, Hiccup couldn't see any flames coming from the direction of the village. That, at least, was good news.

He heard snuffling by his head and smiled. Toothless was here, too. Surely, that meant he couldn't be dead.

Something was wrong, though. Something was missing.

He was too tired to care.

From the direction of the village, a shining figure floated quickly through the air.

**_~Merida~_ **

**_  
_**Her lungs burned, and her legs ached. She couldn't keep running.

Merida ducked behind a large stone, placing herself on the inside of a standing stone circle. She tried to quiet her breathing, but she needed oxygen more than she needed silence. Or at least, that's how she felt.

She hadn't heard her pursuer in a long time, but that didn't mean he was gone. Her mother, however, was missing. In running away from one bear, Merida had been separated from another.

For what felt like the hundredth time, Merida cursed herself. All she had wanted was a way out of marriage; instead, she'd doomed her mother to become a beast. Her selfish nature had ruined everything.

Tentatively, Merida peeked out from behind her rock. There was no sign of Mor'du. Merida allowed herself a sigh of relief, and then she stepped forward until she stood in the middle of the stone circle, the sunlight warming her face.

There was something about these standing stone circles. They hummed with an energy that was beyond Merida's comprehension; here, it was easy to let her thoughts drift.

Suddenly aware of how exposed she was, Merida turned to go back to her rock.

She froze. Inches away was the snarling face of the giant bear, Mor'du.

Merida didn't even have time to scream before the beast was upon her.

///////

She wasn't in pain. Did that mean she was dead?

Merida opened her eyes and sat up straight. She was still in the middle of the stone circle, but it was nighttime now. Had she been dreaming?

But the pain had been so real...

Her dress was in perfect condition, and her neck and face felt smooth, unblemished. She looked at her hands in the moonlight, and saw not a single scar.

_But Mor'du..._

_Mor'du!_

Suddenly, Merida whipped around, searching every inch of her surroundings for a hint of the beast. Not even the wind stirred. She was alone.

Despite possibly having napped, Merida was overcome with exhaustion, and she plopped onto her back, her arms spread wide, staring up at the moon and the stars. She knew something was wrong, but she didn't care enough to find out what.

From behind a stone, a large figure stepped into the circle. It took a moment to get it's bearings, and then it closed in on the princess.

**_~Hiccup~_ **

**_  
_**He was brought back from the verge of sleep by something poking incessantly at his face.

"Okay, okay, I'm awake!" he growled, swatting at the thing. He stopped when he saw who it was.

A very small, very yellow--possibly golden--man with spiky hair stood before him, waving. Hiccup waved back in surprise.

"Uh, hi there. I'm Hiccup. Who are you?"

Toothless threw his head over Hiccup's shoulder and growled at the little man. The newcomer merely shook a finger and smiled; to Hiccup's surprise, Toothless backed off.

The man nodded and turned back to Hiccup. He waved his hands, and created a small ball of what looked like golden sand.

"Sand?"

The man nodded and shaped the sand into the outline of a person.

"You're a sand person?"

He waved his hand in a "sort-of" manner, and made another figure, this one female. He created an X out of sand and moved it across the woman.

"Sand...man?"

The little man nodded, and the magical sand disappeared. Hiccup rubbed his eyes. 

"I must have hit my head pretty hard when I fell," he muttered.

Sandman suddenly began to float away. When he was about five feet from Hiccup, he turned and motioned.

"You want us to follow you?"

A nod, and the little man created a large pillow of sand. The next thing Hiccup knew, the sand had scooped up himself and his dragon, and they were being carried along behind a strange little man who hadn't spoken a single word.

_**~Merida~** _

_**  
**_The moon was suddenly obscured, and Merida found herself stuffed into a sack. She lashed out in vain as she felt herself hurled through the air. She landed with a hard thump on what felt like a wooden floor; as she climbed out, she rubbed her injured backside and muttered to herself. "Damn hooligans, I'll show them, that I will..."

She trailed off when she saw where she was. Toys and other objects flew around the building, the center of which was dominated by a giant replica of the globe. Strange bear-like creatures worked at tables, screwing pieces into objects she'd never seen before, and miniscule people in pointed hats waddled around the place.

"Yet another girl with weird hair?" the voice was vaguely irritating, for no apparent reason. Merida lowered her gaze to see who owned the voice.

She was surrounded. A giant bunny stood beside a sobbing blonde girl, who was clutching a lifeless man with both her hands and her hair. Fluttering beside the bunny was some sort of fairy, and next to that was a small golden man, also floating. A fairly normal-looking boy sat sleeping on the ground, resting against a large black lizard, and...

Oh god.

Merida slapped a hand over her mouth and averted her gaze. The boy's leg was gone below the knee. She thought she might be sick.

"Whoa, not on me!" There was a boy directly in front of her, and he stood up from his kneeling position. "If you're going to be sick, there's a snowbank outside--"

Quick as lightning, Merida swept the boy's feet out from under him, sending him crashing to the floor.

"Shut your mouth, lad. Who do you think you are, kidnapping me like that?" She wrestled her bow and arrows out from behind her and pointed her weapon at the boy. "Answer me!"

Hearty laughter sounded from behind Merida, and a large, white-haired man stepped into view. "I like this one! She's a fighter!" The man reached a hand down and helped Merida to her feet. "My apologies for the abrupt departure, but it seemed the simplest way."

"You see? I had nothing to do with it!" 

"Quiet, Jack."

The boy rolled his eyes and sauntered off to look out the window. He began tapping the glass with a stick he held, creating frost patterns.

"Where am I?" Merida asked the man.

"You are at the North Pole! This is my workshop."

"And you would be?"

The man crossed his arms, revealing heavily-tattooed arms. "Nicholas Saint North, known to the children of the world as Santa Claus. But everyone I know calls me North." His accent was thick, but still clear enough to understand. 

"You're kidding." Merida turned towards the fairy. "What are you, the Tooth Fairy?"

"Yep!"

"I have got to be dreaming."

"You're not." The blonde girl looked up, tears still flowing down her face. "It's all real. Everything. The Sandman, the Easter Bunny, Jack Frost...everything. It's not a dream." And then she couldn't speak anymore. The girl looked down at the man she held and brushed his hair away from his face.

Merida struggled to breathe as she took in this information. How could it be real? They were just myths. She wasn't even sure what a sandman was, but she had a nagging feeling that he shouldn't exist. It wasn't  _natural._

Then again, neither was turning your mother into a bear.

"Okay... _why_ am I here?"

"That's going to take a wee bit more explaining," North said.

"And nothing's getting said until the boy wakes up," the bunny said. He nodded to Merida. "Bunnymund. Most just call me Bunny." He nodded to the fairy. "Toothiana, Queen of the Fairies. We just call her Tooth. And that's Sandy."

The small golden man stopped in the act of drinking from Bunnymund's goblet and waved innocently. 

"When is he going to wake up?" Merida inquired. 

"About that." Tooth fluttered over. "We have to find a way to fix his leg first. Sandy's knocked him out so he doesn't feel any pain, but we don't know what to do now."

"I don't know how to make a leg!" North threw his hands up. "I make toys, not legs!"

"You have to have some sort of materials!" Bunnymund said.

"Not this again." Jack sighed. "We've been over this."

The sleeping boy blinked and looked around blearily. "Wha-"

Suddenly, his eyes flew open and he yelled in pain. He grabbed at his leg, and saw, apparently for the first time, his injury. His yell turned to a scream. 

"Sandy!" Toothiana cried, and the little man readied a ball of sand.

"No, wait!" Merida said. She'd noticed something on the tail of the lizard. "Can you keep him awake, but numb the pain?"

"No!" Toothiana said. "We've tried!"

But already, the screaming was subsiding, and the boy was simply crying silently, breathing heavily, and looking around with wild eyes. "Help..."

"Sandy, do it!"

"No! Look at the lizard!" Merida pointed to the tail. "There's something there...I think it's a false wing! If he built that, maybe he knows how to build a replacement leg!"

The sand in the Sandman's hands disappeared as the suggestion registered. The strange people exchanged glances, nodded, and grouped around the boy, speaking in hushed tones. Merida was left with the crying girl and the annoying boy named Jack.


	2. Lost Get Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from a Britt Nicole song of the same name. 
> 
> This chapter is now done. The false alarm has passed. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, that's okay).

**_~Merida~_ **

**_  
_**The strange people had rushed the injured boy off to somewhere else. With nothing better to do, Merida curled up on a pile of animal-shaped pillows and fell asleep. Eventually, she was woken up by a sharp stick to her side.

"Time to wake up, bedhead," Jack taunted. He leapt out of the way before a repeat of their first meeting could take place. 

"What did you do that for?" Merida asked indignantly. 

"Sorry, but we can't learn anythhing until we're all awake." Jack shot a glance over his shoulder. "To be honest, I'd like an explanation, too." The boy sauntered over to his spot by the window and sat on the sill again.

"Alright, then!" North clapped his hands. Merida glanced past the hulking figure and saw the other boy, now with a strange metal replacement for his leg, leaning against his lizard again. Now, however, Merida could see the wings.

It wasn't a lizard. It was a dragon.

Dragons were only legends, though. Right?

Merida shook her head. She'd met a fairy, a talking rabbit, a non-talking sand person, and a giant bear all in one night. Who was she to question the existence of dragons?

"Let's start with the basics." North gestured around the room. "My friends and I are Guardians. We protect childhood!" He grinned, as if that was all the information that was needed.

Thankfully, Tooth stepped in. "North here is the Guardian of Wonder. He makes the toys for children, and helps create the magic of Christmas. Bunny is Guardian of Hope, because that's what Easter is all about." She flew over to the Sandman. "Sandy is the Guardian of Imagination, and good dreams. Jack is the Guardian of Fun."

Merida snorted. "Fun? What kind of lame title is that?"

"It's the best title!" Jack smirked. "What kind of kid doesn't like fun?"

"And I," Tooth cut in, "am the Guardian of Memories!"

"Okay, you've lost me," the brown-haired boy said. "What do teeth have to do with memories?"

"Oh, I'm so glad you asked, Hiccup!" Tooth fluttered over. "You see--"

"Not now, Tooth," Jack said. "Why are we here? Why are  _they_ here?" He gestured at the two girls and the boy.

Bunnymund spoke up. "That's a bit more complicated."

"You see," Tooth began, addressing the three newcomers, "we aren't the ones who chose to become Guardians. Someone else told us to." She pointed up at a hole in the roof, where the full moon shone brightly. "The Man in the Moon told us our names, and he told us why he saved us."

"Saved you?" the blonde girl said. She sniffed.

Tooth nodded. "Yes, Rapunzel. Just like he saved you."

"Wait-wait-wait." Hiccup raised a hand. "Are you telling me that I'm alive because the moon decided it wasn't my time?"

"Well..."

"You're not really...alive," North said. "Not in the strictest sense."

"You died, and the Moon brought you back to life."

Merida stared down at her hands.  _It was all real. Mor'du...Mor'du really killed me._

"But why?" Rapunzel asked. She carefully laid down the man she was holding and stood up. "Why would he save  _me_? I'm not special."

"Everyone is special, Rapunzel," Tooth said. "You just have to find your center."

"Center...?"

"No time for that!" North declared. "We must move on!"

Bunnymund nodded and hopped a bit. "The thing is, we've been having a bit of time trouble."

"Time?" Merida cocked her head to one side.

"Time. There are little pockets of time all over the world, where what should be there is replaced with the past. You go to Scotland, there's an old kingdom. You go towards Iceland, there's a viking village. It's how we were able to retrieve you three."

"And then," Tooth continued, "there's the--"

As she was talking, the room rippled around them, blurring and fading into something darker. Merida had to sit down to fight the nausea that gripped her.

**_~Jack~_ **

**_  
_**When the view came into focus, they were no longer in the workshop. Instead, the group found themselves in a small room. Every wall, including the floor and ceiling, were made of old wood; there was a nightstand containing a lamp and a vial of sand, which sat next to a bed. In that bed, sleeping soundly, with the light of a full moon shining through the window, was a very small man.

Next to Hiccup, the Sandman went rigid. 

Just then, the door creaked open, admitting three men who snuck silently across the room. They passed through Merida and North as if they weren't there; perhaps they really weren't. One man took up a position on either side of the bed, and looked to the third man, obviously the leader, who waited at the foot. He nodded, and the two men grabbed the smaller man, restraining him. The man jolted awake and squirmed, but in vain.

The man at the end spoke in a voice like gravel. "I'm here for my money, Sanderson. I told you I would get it."

One of the men spoke up. "Shouldn't we gag him, boss?"

The leader laughed. "No need. He won't risk waking the kiddies up."

The other man grinned wickedly. "What a softie. You bastard," he said, speaking now to the small man in the bed, "don't you know? You're the only one who cares about these stupid orphans."

Jack clenched his fists, wishing he could slug the men. 

The leader climbed over the baseboard and straddled his victim. He pulled a long knife out of his coat and rested it against Sanderson's neck. "You'll pay up, Sanderson. And it's gonna cost you everything." Another laugh. "How ironic. By trying to protect these kids, you're letting yourself be killed. Sweet dreams, Sanderson."

Suddenly, a wall of sand roared up, blocking out the sounds and sight of the murder. The walls began to move again, and, when the dreamsand vanished, they were back in the workshop. 

Sandy had ceased to float. He was shaking, staring at the floor with brows furrowed and fists clenched. Jack's heart went out to him.  _Poor Sandy. Even while he died, he was thinking of other people._

**_~Hiccup~_ **

**_  
_**Tooth covered her mouth. "Oh, Sandy, I had no idea..."

Bunnymund placed a paw on his friend's shoulder. "I'm sorry you had to relive that, mate."

Sandy just shrugged and walked away, soon disappearing among the creatures in the workshop. Hiccup briefly worried that the small man would be stepped on.

Toothiana resumed her speech, but her voice wavered a bit. "And then there's the time loops. They happen at random, and can they take you to random times and places. There are ways to end them before they're done, but to do that, you're going to need one of us Guardians. At least until we can find a way for you to escape the time loops yourselves."

But Hiccup's mind had fixed on a point earlier in the conversation. "Excuse me," he said, "but did you say there was a viking village?"

Bunnymund nodded. "What of it?"

"I want to go there."

North shifted his weight. "I do not think--"

"I want to go there.  _Now_." Hiccup stood up, wavering a bit, unsteady on his new leg. Behind him, Toothless growled menacingly.

North hesitated, a smile frozen on his face. Then he turned to the workshop a large. "Ready the sleigh!"

///////

It had taken a while to get Bunnymund into the sleigh, but North managed. He left Toothiana and Jack in charge of the workshop ("And try to cheer up Sandy!"), waited for Hiccup and Toothless to be ready, and led the way out of the icy tunnels and into the open air. He pulled out a snowglobe and shook it, then threw it into the air. In front of Hiccup, a picture of his homeland appeared. Following North, he plunged into the picture.

And then he was flying above Berk.

But something was wrong. As the sleigh and dragon landed in the middle of the village, Hiccup realized that it was too quiet. Even the wind, which had blown steadily through the trees outside the village, seemed to be missing.

There were people in the village. They weren't moving. It was like they had frozen.

Hiccup dismounted and wandered towards a large man. His father. He had one arm raised, pointing towards the docks, as if directing the villagers.

Behind Hiccup, Bunnymund hopped off the sleigh. "You stay here and guard the sleigh," he said to North as he pulled out his boomerangs. 

"Why?" North asked, gesturing with his swords. "There is no one here!"

"What happened to them?" Hiccup asked. Bunnymund hopped over. 

"Frozen in time, mate. I wouldn't touch them if I were you." Bunnymund's words stopped Hiccup in his tracks. "Never know what could happen if you do."

Hiccup withdrew his hand. "So, everyone in the village..."

Suddenly, Bunnymund straightened and whirled around. His ears twitched in all directions; his nose moved so fast it became a blur; his muscles seemed to twitch. Soon after, Hiccup heard it--the noise of something moving very fast through the village. He could hear movement in a nearby house and began to creep towards it.

"Let me go first," Bunnymund volunteered, but Hiccup waved him off. 

"This is my village. I know it inside out." Still, Hiccup pulled out his knife. "And I know dragons. That didn't sound like a dragon."

He took the final steps into the house...and stopped in surprise.

Hiccup had been right; it wasn't a dragon. It was a human.

It was Astrid.

She sat in a dingy corner, eyes wide and somewhat wild, clutching her battleaxe. She eyed Hiccup warily, as if he might be a trick. For all she knew, he was.

Hiccup's eyes flew to the knife in his hand. He quickly sheathed it and held his hands out to Astrid as he stepped towards her. "Astrid, it's me. Hiccup."

"That's not possible," she hissed. "Hiccup isn't here. I checked. Everyone froze, and I checked every corner of this village for someone else."

"I know. I wasn't in the village."

"Where were you?" she asked suspiciously. Just then, Bunnymund jumped into view, and she shrank back. "And what is  _that?"_

"This is Bunnymund. He's a friend."

"I didn't ask his name. What is he?"

"I," Bunnymund said, shoving Hiccup aside, "am the Easter Bunny. And you have some explaining to do, young lady."

"Why should I tell you anything?"

"Astrid, please," Hiccup pleaded. "I want to help. But I can't if you won't tell me what happened!"

There was a tense moment when Astrid looked as if she might bolt out the window. Then she sighed and closed her eyes.

"Fine."

Bunnymund stopped her. "Not now. I think everyone needs to hear this."

"Who's everyone?"

"Let me put it this way," Hiccup said. "You're either really gonna like them, or they're really gonna drive you up the wall."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Astrid is going to play a big part in this story. Not in a romance way, though.


	3. Whispers In the Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title is from a Skillet song of same name.
> 
> Sorry for the slow start. I have future chapters planned but I need to get character development out of the way first.

_**~Rapunzel~** _

_**  
**_"I could freeze him," Jack said. Rapunzel looked up from Flynn, puzzled.

"Excuse me?"

"I could freeze him. It would keep him fresh, in case we can find a way to bring him back." Jack crouched down next to her. "It's sort of like a cryochamber. Have you ever heard of that?"

Rapunzel shook her head no. 

"It's a preservation method. His body will stay as it is. Would you like me to do it?"

She hesitated; she had just met Jack, and she couldn't be sure that she could trust him. But the look on his face was so honest, and there was no reason to trick her. "Okay."

Jack smiled and lifted Flynn off of Rapunzel's lap before tapping the man with his stick. A large block of ice formed around Flynn, clear as glass. Rapunzel brushed the surface with her fingertips, as if she could touch Flynn's cheek through the ice. 

"Thank you," she whispered.

"It's not a problem."

_**~Merida~** _

_**  
**_Despite herself, Merida watched the freezing. It was frightening, to see such a harmless-looking boy wield such great power. But Merida soon dismissed it and went back to readjusting her arrowheads.

It wasn't long before there was the pitter-patter of approaching feet and the thump of someone sitting down on the wooden floor. Merida turned with exasperation and met Rapunzel's gaze. The blonde girl had her legs crossed and pulled in tight, with her hands resting within the circle that her legs made. She was leaning forward, almost expectantly.

"So?"

"What do you want, blondie?"

Rapunzel was unfazed by Merida's unfriendly tone. "Isn't this cool?" Rapunzel gestured at the workshop. "I mean, it's awful that we had to die to see all this, but it was sort of worth it, don't you think?"

Merida stared. "You can't really mean that."

"Okay, I guess not," Rapunzel sighed. "If it had just been me, yeah, I would have meant it. But..."she threw a glance toward the frozen man. 

When Merida didn't continue the conversation, Rapunzel did. "What do you do?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Well...I've noticed that we all have some sort of power. Jack has his ice, I have my hair, and the other boy--Hiccup, right?--has his dragon. I've never heard of anyone taming a dragon before. But I can't figure out what you do."

"I shoot arrows," Merida said dryly. 

Rapunzel blinked. Then she cocked her head and frowned. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No."

"Then why are you being so rude?"

"I'm not being rude. I'd just like to be left alone."

"Oh." Rapunzel fell silent for a moment. "Oh, well, I guess, if you feel that way...I should just...I'm sorry." She stood up. Merida didn't watch to see where she went.

Merida knew she was acting rude. Her mother would have been shocked. But there was too much going on in her head to worry about these strangers.

_Mor'du killed me. It's too late to save my mother; she's going to be a bear until Dad finds her. Dad's going to find Mum, and he won't know it's her. I'm dead. I'm in the wrong time. I failed._

_I shouldn't be here._

_**~Hiccup~**  
_

_**  
**_ The first thing Hiccup noticed when he re-entered the workshop were the elves. They were clearly fascinated the blonde girl's--Rapunzel's--impossibly long hair. There were quite a few of them taking naps and playing among the tresses. Hiccup was sure that Rapunzel would be fishing elves out for hours.

The second thing he noticed was the block of ice containing the dead man. He drew back slightly, confused, but when no one else seemed even slightly perturbed by it, he decided to let it pass.

The third thing he noticed was how Merida was sitting, all by herself, her back hunched defensively, facing away from Jack and Rapunzel and the dead man. She had a pile of perfectly fletched arrows, the points sharpened to within an inch of their non-lives, but she was still fidgeting with them, like she wanted an excuse to not have to interact with the other two teenagers. Hiccup felt his heart ache; he remembered countless nights of sitting alone at a corner of a table in the Great Hall, sketching and erasing and resketching the same parts of inventions over and over, with no alterations, so he wouldn't have to feel like there was any other reason that people were leaving him alone. It didn't work: he always knew that he was an outcast, no matter what he did.

But the four of them had just met. Why should this girl already feel like an outsider? If anyone was a reject, it would be him. Hiccup knew he was out of place. He wasn't strong, or powerful, or heroic. He was just a regular guy who screwed up all the time. Hel, he was here because he screwed up and died. 

Hiccup shook his head to clear it. Now was not the time to dwell on past mistakes. Right now, he needed to listen to Astrid.

"Jack!" North boomed. "Good work on the freezing. I'll just put him in the snow, hm?"

"Will he be safe there?" Rapunzel asked. 

"Don't you worry! There will be Yeti guards 24/7."

Astrid was looking around her with wild eyes, trying to process everything she was seeing. "Where is this place?"

"The North Pole," Hiccup answered. "Santa's workshop."

"Who's Santa?"

Hiccup pointed to the big man in the red suit.

"I thought he was called North."

"Yeah, I'm not really sure about these naming conventions myself."

Jack flew over and hung upside down in front of Astrid, inspecting her. "Who's the babe?"

Astrid hauled back and punched Jack in the face, sending him spinning to the floor. The white-haired boy rubbed his jaw painfully.

"Do NOT call me a babe," Astrid hissed, stepping on Jack's fingers as she followed Bunnymund into the center of the circle of people.

"Hiccup," Toothiana prompted, "why don't you introduce your friend?"

"Right!" said Hiccup. "This is Astrid Hofferson. She's a girl from my village."

"You have such beautiful hair, Astrid!" Rapunzel trilled. "I love your bangs!"

"Thanks," Astrid said hesitantly. "And you are?"

"My name's Rapunzel!"

"Interesting name."

"My mother said it was unique, like me." Suddenly, all the cheer left Rapunzel's face and was replaced by something that looked suspiciously like guilt.

"What's with the spikes and skulls?" Merida jeered, gesturing at Astrid's skirt. "Trying to compensate for something?"

Astrid growled and hefted her axe threateningly. Merida simply twanged her bowstring.

"Anyway," Hiccup said, trying to divert a potentially dangerous turn of events, "Astrid has some important information for us."

 Astrid took a deep breath. "A few days ago, our village stopped."

"Stopped?" Jack asked. "What do you mean, stopped?"

"I'm getting there!" Astrid said through clenched teeth. "It froze. Everyone stopped moving. Anything that entered the village froze, too. But everything outside kept moving."

"But you didn't freeze," Rapunzel said. It wasn't a question.

"You're right. I don't know why I didn't freeze. It's been Hel. There are still dragons out there, and I had to go outside to find food. I was afraid that if I touched any of  the frozen people or sheep, I might go still, too."

North nodded. "You were wise to avoid them."

"I don't get it, though," Bunnymund said. "We've visited that village at least three times since the time loops started. There was never anyone moving."

"I hid from you," Astrid said. "I never got a clear look at you until today." 

"Is that all?" Merida asked. "Just some village?"

"This goes beyond the village!" Astrid yelled. She regained her composure. "On the day everyone went still, I saw the Green Death barreling towards us. It had its wings extended, and it was roaring. I was terrified. I couldn't move. Then a shadow passed over it, and it was just...gone." Astrid shrugged. "I can't think of another way to describe it. I thought for a bit that I was hallucinating. But then I turned around and saw the village, how every living thing was so still, with the fires still burning--I had to run around to put them out--and I knew it wasn't a dream.

"But that's not all. The dragons outside began disappearing. They should have come flocking; they should have tried their luck at entering the village. But only a few did that. I encountered a few when I went fishing, or looking for others who might have been outside the village, but not nearly as many as there should have been, considering the fact that their major food source has been wiped out."

"Do you think someone's taking the dragons?" Rapunzel asked.

"Taking them?" Astrid asked in astonishment. "Have you ever seen a dragon? You can't just take a dragon. I don't know what's happening, but it's not right."

"Oh, did you just come to that conclusion?" Merida asked, her tone patronizing. Astrid tightened her grip on her axe.

North tapped his chin thoughtfully. "So the dragons are missing and the village is frozen. This does sound ominous."

Tooth rested a hand on Astrid's shoulder. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that, sweetie."

"Yeah, this is all really sad and stuff," Jack chimed in, "but what exactly are we supposed to do next?"

~ _ **Elsewhere~**_

 _ **  
**_Gothel barely winced at the awful scraping noise the loose stone made as she wrenched it from the tower wall. She frantically climbed inside and up through a secret trapdoor into the tower, and gasped when she saw it empty. Her worst fears had been realized. Rapunzel had escaped.

She climbed out slowly and walked towards the window in disbelief. Why? What could have driven her sweet, obedient Rapunzel to run off?

"You're wrong."

Gothel whipped around, searching the room for the source of the voice. Behind her, the window slammed shut, plunging the room into total darkness. Slowly, gray light filtered into the room, and Gothel found herself in a sort of cavern, on a slanted bridge, facing a tall, grayish man in dark clothing.

"Hello, Gothel. I've been waiting for your arrival."

"Do I know you?" Gothel asked, stepping back. Her words conveyed more bravery than she felt; she was sure her face wore a terrified expression, but her voice was hard as steel.

"Of course not," the man said. "You may have heard of me, though. Has anyone ever warned you about the bogeyman?"

"Yes," Gothel asked warily. "What does that have to do with all of this?"

"Well," the man said, inspecting his fingernails, "I am the bogeyman. I prefer to go by Pitch Black, however." He chuckled. "I can see that you don't believe me. Would you like me to prove it to you?"

Gothel straightened up. "What did you mean, about me being wrong?"

"You're wrong about your worst fear." The man started to advance. "You are very much afraid of losing your flower, but it isn't the thing you fear most. I know what everyone's fears are, Gothel, and your worst fear is much more sinister than that." He was right in front of her now, close enough that he could reach out and grab her if he wanted. "You're afraid of dying, dear. Death is your worst fear. If it weren't for death, if you were comfortable with the idea of your own mortality, there would be no need for Rapunzel." 

Gothel gasped when she heard the name. "How do you know about Rapunzel?"

"I've always known. I've been around a long time, Gothel. Do tell me, what did you plan to do when Rapunzel became too old to care for you? Were you going to force her to live forever, using her own power to prolong her life of servitude? I highly doubt you planned to let her die of old age."

"What do you want with me?"

"I want your help," Pitch said. "And in return, I'll make sure you get your flower back."

Gothel smirked. "What would this 'help' entail?"

"A bit of, shall we say...witchcraft."

Her smirk disappeared. "I left that behind me."

"But you still trained under her, no? The famous witch, Griselda. She only ever took one apprentice, you know. She though very highly of you."

"You want me to cast a spell?"

"Not just a spell." Pitch disappeared, the re-appeared near a large copper globe. He touched a finger to the North Pole. "Right now, the Guardians will have collected the children. One of them is your precious Rapunzel." He stepped back. "I need all four of them for my plan to succeed, and to reclaim what has been taken from me. With your help, and the aid of two others, I can do just that."

"Who are these others?"

"All in good time, dear Gothel. But first: are you willing to help me?"

Gothel closed her eyes. She was reluctant to reawaken the magic, something she'd long ago given up in favor of a simple life. But drastic times called for drastic measures. 

"Yes. I will."

Pitch smiled. "Good. This way, my dear. I have someone very important for you to meet."


	4. All A Test

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder that I haven't read the books so I'm making up the backgrounds for the Guardians.

**_~Jack~_ **

**_  
_**Jack kicked a rock as he walked through the forest near his pond. The other four kids had each gone off with a different Guardian, leaving him to his own devices. Part of Jack resented the arrival of Astrid; if it weren't for her, he'd have someone to talk to. But he was a loner, and always had been--at least, always since he'd become Jack Frost.

Jack was just as out of the loop as the other four. While they were getting explanations (probably), he was in the dark. Part of him knew that it was more likely that they were getting formal Guardian training of some sort, but he pushed the rational part of him aside.

Why was he here? The Guardians had it all under control. He wasn't needed now. At the same time, he wondered why he hadn't been told earlier. Until a few moments ago, he'd had no idea that time loops and other disturbances were occuring. It seemed like the other Guardians did, though, and Jack resented this. After all he'd done to prove himself, they still didn't trust him with important information. They were treating him like...well, like a child.

Jack didn't see what the big deal was with the time loops. So what if the Guardians were visiting the past? As far as Jack could tell, humans weren't affected. And it wasn't like the time loops actually moved anyone. They just sort of plucked them out of their own time and made them watch. No time passed in the "real" world. 

Then Jack remembered Sandy. No one, he decided, should have to go through that sort of pain. He wondered how many times one of the Guardians had seen themselves die again. 

Was that the reason they wanted to solve the problem of the time loops? No, that wasn't right. The Guardians wouldn't be so selfish. Even when they fought Pitch, they saved themselves because failing to do so would hurt the children. 

Jack still couldn't shake the feeling that he was unneeded, and he hated feeling unneeded.

_**~Pitch~** _

_**  
**_Gothel finished her spell, and there was a dark flash of light. The bear in front of her straightened up, jerkily changing form, until it was a tall, dark-haired, dark-eyed man with an arrow-and-sword-pierced shield welded onto his back, evidence of some terrible burn wound that had attached the metal to the flesh. There was a hideous scar over one eye, and the man's nails were very long. But he was a man nonetheless.

And he was angry.

"What have we here?" The man licked his lips. "What could possibly possess my captors to free me like this?"

Pitch looked the man up and down.  _Good,_ he thought.  _Human form, but with all the anger preserved. Just like I asked._

"Hello, Mor'du," he said. "How nice it is to see you in human form again."

The man crouched down, used to being on all fours and clearly out of balance. "You know me, hmm? I don't think I've seen you. I remember all my victims." He chuckled darkly. "A fan, then?"

"An ally." Pitch stepped closer. "I need your help."

"And I need a bath. What makes you think I'm going to help you?"

"Thanks to us, you're a human." Pitch gestured to Gothel. "And we can take that away just as easily."

"I don't care. I'll rip your throats out either way."

"I wouldn't ask for help if I had nothing to offer in return," Pitch continued. "When we're done, I'll allow you a prize. Do you remember King Fergus of DunBroch?"

At the mention of the name, Mor'du growled. "Of course. I've been waiting to finish him off for a long time."

"If you agree to help me, his daughter is all yours, to do whatever you wish with."

This time, instead of growling, Mor'du gave the impression of perking up his ears. "That blasted red-headed brat?"

"The very same."

A wicked grin cut across the bear-man's face. "Oh, this is going to be delicious. You have yourself a deal."

"Pitch," Pitch said as he extended a hand. "I go by Pitch."

"Well, then, Pitch, you have yourself a deal. What can I do for you?"

**_~Rapunzel~_ **

**_  
_**Even though she knew she should be listening, Rapunzel couldn't concentrate on what Toothiana was saying. Her mind kept wandering. It didn't take long for Toothiana to catch on.

"You're worried about him, aren't you?"

Rapunzel didn't have to ask who Toothiana was referring to. "Yes."

"Would you like to talk about it?"

Rapunzel shook her head, but found herself talking anyway. "It's all my fault. I should never have left my tower. Then he wouldn't have died."

"You can't blame yourself, Rapunzel. These things happen."

"That doesn't make it any better!"

Tooth fluttered over and sat beside Rapunzel on the stone. She put a feathered arm around her and took a deep breath. "When I was a little girl, I always used to dream about flying. It was my greatest wish, even though I was afraid of heights. I'd climb trees and then be too scared to come down." She giggled. "I got over it eventually.

"I had long black hair that shone in the sunlight. I had two sisters and a younger brother, and two loving parents. And there was this boy...this amazing, fantastic boy. We grew up together. We were going to get married. But...our village was invaded. The soldiers wanted to make an example of one of us. They singled him out. They asked if anyone was willing to take his place; I think they wanted to see if we had any fight left in us." It was becoming harder for Toothiana to speak. "I knew at that moment that it all depended on me. I could let him die...or I could take his place. I could choose safety or I could choose love. I chose love."

She looked sideways at Rapunzel. "After that, I became only a memory. In the beginning, when I was getting the hang of flying and collecting teeth, I would visit my love every night with memories of me, so he could be happy. He only ever smiled when I helped him remember me. He was smiling when he died." Then she squeezed Rapunzel's shoulder. "Sometimes, things get in the way. But no matter what, love has a way of reaching across the boundaries of death, time, and space."

Rapunzel smiled a bit. "Thank you."

"Anytime."

"You really are amazing at cheering people up."

Tooth waved a hand and laughed. "Oh, it's nothing a mother wouldn't do."

"My mother wouldn't have."

Tooth's hand dropped. "What?"

"She would say something, and then twist it to make herself feel better. Then she'd pass it off as a joke."

Immediately, Rapunzel wished she hadn't said anything. She could see and feel the pity in Toothiana's eyes, and she didn't want pity. 

Suddenly, Rapunel doubled over, overwhelmed by dizziness and nausea. She clutched at her stomach and slid off the rock onto her knees. 

"Rapunzel? Rapunzel!" 

Toothiana's cries seemed far off as darkness obscured her vision.

_**~Pitch~** _

_**  
**_Five orbs, glowing teal at the edges, rested on an intricate wooden stand. Inside each was a different scene, featuring a different person. Pitch, Gothel, and Mor'du were seated around a wooden table, passing the orbs back and forth. Pitch noticed, however, that Mor'du was hoarding one orb in particular.

"If we're going to make any progress, Mor'du, I need to see the princess." Pitch extended a hand. Grudgingly, Mor'du passed the orb over.

Pitch grinned when he saw the grumpy girl trying to decipher the Sandman's charades. She was getting more and more frustrated.

"I can solve that, my dear," Pitch muttered under his breath, and waved a hand over the orb. Inside, Merida doubled over, clutching her head, and began to vanish into shadows, and then into nothing. The Sandman floated in shock over the place where Merida had stood, and then looked directly at Pitch. He couldn't possibly know that Pitch could see them; there was no way for the orb to be seen from the other end, yet. Still, it was enough to make Pitch slide the orb into the middle. Soon after, the scene changed to match the one in Rapunzel's orb. Greedily, Mor'du snatched Merida's orb again.

Pitch repeated his actions over the orbs containing Jack and Hiccup, but paused over Astrid's orb. A thought had occurred to him.

"This one can wait a bit longer." He stored the orb underneath the table and drew out two more, these ones holding North and Toothiana, both looking panicked. North recovered quicker; he soon had shaken a snow globe and was back in his workshop. Toothiana followed on wings, her face a mixture of fear and determination.

Gothel stroked Rapunzel's orb lovingly. "My precious flower...you promise that no harm will come to her, Pitch?"

"I promise that I will not inflict any physical pain, but I cannot promise anything regarding emotional or mental pain. And I can not be held accountable for any physical pain that is inflicted by someone else."

Gothel frowned.

Pitch looked back at the orbs. He laughed. "Oh, these children will be emotional wrecks when I'm done with them. How should I start? Should I set boy against beast, mother against daughter, innocence against brutality, and faith agaisnt fear? Or should I be more subtle? So many possibilities..."

"Why don't we just rush in and grab them while they're weak?" Mor'du asked.

"They aren't strong enough yet for my purposes. They must be trained. And Merida must be broken enough to swallow her pride."

"What exactly is planned for these children?"

Pitch stood up. "Follow me, if you please."

He led his allies down a myriad of dark hallways, lit only occasionally by pitiful wall sconces. Finally, they stepped into a wide chamber, hollowed out of the black rock, and considerably better-lit. In the far wall was a glass pane with a handle; on the other side of the glass, a figure was suspended in icy fog and a block of what appeared to be ice--perfectly clear ice.

"What kind of burial is that?" Gothel whispered. 

"It's not a burial," Pitch said, his voice taking on a strange, soft quality. "It's preservation. This has been here for many, many years. Centuries, really. And it's what helped me to fight off the nightmares."

"You?" Gothel asked, unable to resist a smirk. "Nightmares?"

"Great, black horses. They feed on fear. The Guardians turned them against me and tormented me. I would have spent eternity damned to listen to their whisperings, torn by their teeth, but I stumbled into this room. It gave me the strength to fight off and destroy the monsters." Pitch stroked the glass almost lovingly. "This is why I need the children. The body is so old, removing it from this cryochamber could destroy any hope of reviving it. I need Frost to regulate the temperature during the procedure; I need Rapunzel to heal any wounds and keep the vital organs stable; I need the dragon to melt the ice; and I need Merida to lead me to a powerful enchanter, who will revive the body and bring back..." Suddenly, Pitch was choked up. He shook his head and moved on. "When Merida has served her purpose, I'll have no need for her. Mor'du may do what he wants with her. And when Rapunzel is finished, Gothel may take her home. I'll make sure she's perfectly willing to obey."

"You said you needed the dragon," Mor'du said. "What about the boy?"

"If I could, I would get rid of him. But the dragon won't cooperate without the boy. When the deed is done, if either of you wishes to deal with him, it's no longer my business."

"And Jack Frost?" Gothel asked. "What will become of him?"

Pitch grinned. "Oh, I'll deal with him. Him, and all the Guardians."


	5. Miss Me When I'm Gone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter name is from "Going Down In Flames" by Three Doors Down

**_~Hiccup~_**

Hiccup groaned and clutched his pounding head, screwing his eyes shut against the sudden light that followed the shadows. He heard rustling beside him; slowly, with his face pointing towards the ground, he blinked, adjusting to the light. His headache, too, began to recede.

When the light no longer hurt his eyes, Hiccup glanced to his left. Picking herself up from the ground, her hair a mess of leaves and twigs, was Merida. Beside her was Rapunzel, clutching her stomach and looking slightly green. She quickly fled behind a large tree, and soon Hiccup could hear unpleasant retching and gagging noises.

To distract himself, Hiccup looked around. Moments before, he had been in the workshop, listening to North explaining things like 'centers'. Now, he found himself in a forest, surrounded by orange, red, and yellow leaves. He hadn't been able to tell in the North Pole, but it was autumn. Light filtered calmly through the foliage, casting dappled shadows on his skin and Merida's, and making her bright red hair seem as if it were on fire.

Behind him, leaves slid over each other and crunched under some enormous weight. Hiccup turned around and saw Toothless, gazing at him with large eyes that were both nervous and reassured. Hiccup understood, because he felt the same: despite the abrupt and unexplainable way they had arrived, knowing Toothless was with him, unharmed, made it all better.

Toothless came and sat down beside Hiccup, nudging his arm, and received a scratch behind the head. Hiccup looked up just in time to see the shadows bending, and then flinging outward just as Jack appeared in the sky. He fell to earth with a  _thump_ and a rush of breath. Merida chuckled.

As Jack was brushing himself off, Rapunzel returned, looking slightly less green. Hiccup made a mental note not to look behind that tree if he valued his lunch.

"Where are we?" asked Rapunzel, looking around. She smoothed her hair back behind her ears and picked a leaf out.

Jack took a moment to register his surroundings before taking off, soaring up above the trees. He soon returned. "No idea. The trees stretch on in every direction." He shrugged.

"More importantly," Merida said, " _how_ are we here?"

Jack looked at her and burst into laughter. He fell onto his back and clutched his sides, rolling with mirth. "Your hair...I can't..." Then there was nothing but laughing from the winter spirit.

Merida glared at the boy and ran a hand through her hair. Her fingers snagged on a knot, and she muttered a curse. Hiccup reached over tentatively and picked a leaf out of her hair. She stiffened a bit, as if she were holding her breath. 

After a good five minutes, Jack's laughter subsided, and his mood sobered. "I think someone moved us. Not sure who, though."

"That's very helpful," Merida said, her tone dripping with sarcasm as she rolled her eyes. "Anymore nuggets of wisdom in that wee brain of yours?"

"Forget about why we're here," Rapunzel said. "How do we get back?"

_**~Jack~** _

It was inevitable that someone would ask that question.

"How many can your dragon carry, Hic?"

"It's Hiccup," the boy said. "And the answer is two, including me. We should be able to get out of here if you can carry someone, Jack."

"Yeah, about that. I can't carry anyone larger than a toddler or young child. Teenagers? Not a chance." He grinned unpleasantly and nodded to Merida. "Especially someone her size."

"Oy!" Merida yelled, cracking her knuckles.

"You guys can go ahead," Rapunzel said. "I'll wait here, and Hiccup can come back for me."

"Are you mad? You won't last a night out here." Merida crossed her arms with finality. "And we don't know which direction to go. You could be out here for days. You go with the boys, and I'll stay. I've got my bow; I can defend myself, and hunt."

"We're not leaving anyone!" Hiccup declared. "If we can't get out the quick way, we'll take the long way together."

As much as Jack disliked the idea of walking through the woods for days on end, he had to admit that Hiccup was right. It bothered Jack: if the other boy hadn't spoken up, Jack would have agreed to leave one of the girls behind.

_**~Hiccup~** _

"So, which way should we go?" Rapunzel asked.

"North," came Jack's immediate answer. "Towards the Pole."

"Which way is that?" Hiccup asked. Jack flew above the canopy again.

"North is that way," Jack said when he returned, pointing to his left.

"How do you know?" Merida asked. 

"That's the way the north wind came from when I called for it."

"You can talk to the wind?" Rapunzel exclaimed. "That's so cool!"

"It's only the north wind," Jack said, shuffling his feet.

"Let's get going," Hiccup spoke up. "We should make some progress before nightfall." He neglected to mention Toothless's echolocation. Even though they could, theoretically, travel in the dark, night was a time for sleep.

 _**~Astrid~** _

"You're slowing down!" Bunnymund called out, tossing a boomerang just as he caught another one. 

Astrid ducked. She desperately wanted to catch her breath, because she'd been dodging the three boomerangs for half an hour, all the while clutching her axe, in case her only choice was to block. She refused to announce her exhaustion, though; to do so, she believed, would be a weakness.

Bunnymund called out again, and Astrid realized, too late, that there was a boomerang hurtling toward her face. She was too tired to dodge at all.

Mere seconds before the weapon would have hit her, it stopped. Bunnymund had grabbed it, and now stood looking at Astrid with mild disappointment.

"You should never, ever be afraid to back down or ask for a break. This is an agility exercise, not a stamina one. You shouldn't wear yourself out in training. Always leave something, in case you're faced with a situation that requires energy or speed. And if something won't end well, and the situation is suitable, you don't have to make yourself stay. Part of being a good fighter is knowing. When. To back. Down." Bunnymund began to puntuate his sentence by pointing the boomerang between words. Astrid looked down at her feet, trying to stomp her shame into oblivion.

Bunnymund considered her for a moment longer. Then his expression brightened, and he turned towards the river that ran through the grassy clearing where they were training.

"Come on, Astrid! Let's take a lunch break, shall we?" He patted a rock beside him and opened the picnic basket near his foot. "Sorry there aren't any fish, but North made a lamb sandwich for you. I'm not really sure what vikings eat."

"This is fine, thank you," Astrid said, collapsing onto the rock. She was famished; she could have eaten almost anything. Before she took a bite, she stopped. "Is it okay for me to eat meat in front of you?"

"It's fine, mate. It's not a rabbit, is it? Besides, who am I to say what you can or cannot eat?"

They ate in silence for a bit. Then Bunnymund put down a carrot and said, "The thing I don't understand is, how can you see us? It makes sense for the other three, because they're Immortals, like me. But you're not."

"What's an immortal?"

"Someone the Man in the Moon has saved, and who has either chosen or been forced to remain an Immortal. Or some creature that humanity has forgotten."

"You can choose to be an Immortal?"

 "Under certain circumstances. If there are drastic physical changes when you're saved, you don't have a choice. Otherwise, you can continue to live your life a bit longer. Although why anyone would want that I don't know." He snapped a carrot in half. "Only an idiot would pass it up."

Astrid could tell by the anger that Bunnymund was failing to suppress that there  _was_ someone who had done that. It came as no surprise, therefore, when he began talking about it.

"If the Groundhog became a Guardian, he's be the Guardian of Superstition. Everyone knows what he does is fake. But they keep believing in him. When he died, he said the 'time wasn't right' and chose to go back. He did it again and again, twenty times, before he finally decided the time was right to stay immortal. He refused immortality continually to live the boring life of a regular old groundhog. And he thinks he's so superior!"

Astrid regarded Bunnymund. "Are you angry because he refused the gift, or because he the option of refusing it?"

For a long time, Bunnymund said nothing. Astrid began to think she'd said something wrong. Then Bunnymund reached into his satchel and pulled out an egg, a paintbrush, and paints. In contrast to the carrot-snapping anger of moments ago, the gentle, almost loving way he held the egg surprised the girl.

"I'm angry at the groundhog for refusing," Bunnymund said. "And I don't get why Manny was so determined to have the guy. I wouldn't have rejected the gift if I could. But then, I had nothing left to go back to."

Suddenly, the world around them began to ripple and spin. When it stopped, they weren't in the same clearing.

 _**~Pitch~** _

"Damn!" Pitch slammed a fist against the table as the two orbs in front of him began to swim with enough colors to make anyone sick.

 _How convenient,_ he thoughtm glaring at the ceiling.  _A time loop to place them outside my grasp. You may not control the time loops, old friend, but I don't believe for a second that they aren't connected to you._

How fitting for the moon to control the tide of time. But these loops were not a direct product of the moon.

Pitch could wait. After a few minutes, the time loop would begin to deposit them. It wasn't true that no time passed while the time loop functioned. When they began their return journey, he would strike.

**_~Astrid~_  **

"It's another time loop," Bunnymund said. "It'll pass, but I can get us out quicker. Come on."

But Astrid was no longer listening. She'd caught sight of a small girl, sitting on a rock by a river, surrounded by berry bushes and clutching a stuffed rabbit. It sounded like the girl was crying.

"Astrid, let's go. We can't do anything to help her." Astrid ignored Bunnymund and took a few steps towards the sniffling girl. 

"Astrid!" Bunnymund's tone held a warning. 

"That girl..."

"Isn't real. She's part of the loop. Now,  _let's go._ " 

"That's  _me,"_ Astrid breathed.

Behind her, Bunnymund's eyes widened, and his nose twitched in surprise.

The bushes beside the little Astrid began rustling, but the girl took no notice. Astrid was filled with panic; she couldn't remember anything like this. Was there a reason? Has something awful and traumatic happened?

Then a large rabbit stepped out.

Astrid looked back and forth between the large rabbit and Bunnymund. There was no mistaking it: they were one and the same.

The other Bunnymund knelt down beside little Astrid. "There, now, little anklebiter. Don't cry!"

The little Astrid looked up. "Who are you?"

"I'm the Easter Bunny."

The little girl held up her doll. "Bunnymund! Bunnymund!"

"Is that this little fella's name?"

"And yours!" she insisted.

"Okay, sure it is. I'm Bunnymund. Where'd you get your little dolly?"

"My daddy made him for me!" Suddenly, the little girl began to cry again. The other Bunnymund patted her shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

"My daddy...Mama said he's not coming home. I heard the chief telling her...that Daddy died in a raid."

Now Astrid was starting to remember. The pain of losing her father had been so great that most of her childhood was hard to recall without choking.

The other Bunnymund reached into his satchel and pulled out a brightly-painted egg with little legs. "Here, hold out your hands." The little girl did, and the egg hopped from paw to hand before retracting its legs and settling into her palm. The girl giggled.

"So cute!" she cried. "Eggstrid!"

Both rabbits chuckled.

Suddenly, the girl dropped the egg. It cracked, and broke cleanly in half. The girl gasped and began to cry again.

"No, no! It's okay, sweetheart! Look!" The other Bunnymund picked something up from inside the eggshell. "The eggs are meant to crack. See?"

He handed the object to the girl. She looked at it. "Chocolate?"

"That's right. There's candy in them. You keep that, okay?" The bunny stood up. "You're a strong girl. Keep your chin up, and you'll get through this. I'm sure you're dad would say the same."

"Don't go!" Little Astrid held her hands out.

"I'm sorry. I have to. I have work to do. I'll try to come back, okay?"

Little Astrid lowered her hands. "Okay."

After the other Bunnymund had left, little Astrid turned towards Astrid. Their eyes met for a second, and then the world swam again. This time, however, it all went dark.

///////

They weren't back in the clearing. Instead, far in the distance, a castle loomed. From where Astrid and Bunnymund stood, in the middle of a stone circle, it almost looked like a rock. 

But neither of them was paying attention to their surroundings.

"You were that little girl," Bunnymund said, his brows furrowed. "The one who first called me Bunnymund."

"You kept the nickname I gave you."

"I didn't have a name. I was just 'Bunny'. And it was a cute name. I could tell it meant a lot to you." He looked away, as if embarassed. "Anyway, it makes sense why you can see us now. You saw me as a child. Young minds are more accepting of our existence."

"You were the closest to a father I had after Daddy died." She didn't know what made her say it; when she did, all the pain of losing her father came washing back, tears flowing unchecked for the first time in years. She felt fur as Bunnymund wrapped her in a hug, and sobbed uncontrollably. She had finally found someone who would never judge her for letting her emotions show through. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really long chapter. When I wrote it out by hand, it was fourteen pages.
> 
> To be totally honest, I have Astrid's storyline planned out more than the others'. I know how I want the thing to end, but the middle part...well, in the words of Jackie Tyler, "anything could happen." 
> 
> But since I have a strange obsession with putting characters through emotional and psychological torture, that's probably going to be a prominent theme. Pitch is a goldmine for that sort of dialogue, believe me. He's one of my favorite villains because he doesn't bullshit the things he says.
> 
> I hope I'm making Astrid a likable character. I love her character, and it breaks my heart when people hate her. And I love the idea of Bunnymund as a father.


	6. Part of Me Is Fighting This

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from "When I'm Gone" by 3 Doors Down

_**~Rapunzel~**  _

When they had been walking for a while, Merida slowed to match pace with Rapunzel, who was struggling with her hair. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yes, why?"

"You seemed a wee bit ill earlier."

"Oh. I'm fine now, thank you."

Merida lowered her voice. "You aren't...pregnant, are you?"

Rapunzel almost tripped in shock. "What? Of course not! What would make you think that?" A blush was stealing up in her cheeks.

"Well, when my mum was pregnant with my brothers, she would get awful cases of morning sickness. I thought maybe that was what you had."

Rapunzel shook her head. "I was just a bit queasy from the...sudden movement. That's all."

Merida nodded and glanced behind them. "We need to do something about your hair."

 _**~Hiccup~** _

When it got dark, the four of them found a tree with large roots that created a sort of shelter. Merida lit a fire and Toothless killed a deer, which they roasted and shared amongst themselves. Jack sat far from the fire.

"Aren't you cold, Jack?" Rapunzel asked instinctively. 

"I'm supposed to be cold. Heat doesn't really agree with me."

When they'd eaten their fill, Hiccup volunteered for first watch. The other three went to bed: Rapunzel and Merida in blanket rolls from Toothless's packs, and Jack up in the branches of the tree, far away from the warmth of the fire and closer to the cool light of the moon.

It wasn't long before someone joined Hiccup by the fire.

"Merida? What are you doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep a wink."

"Ah." Hiccup wasn't sure what to say. He wasn't even sure if he  _should_ say something; instead, he poked at the logs in the fire with a stick.

"Doesn't it bother you?" Merida asked suddenly. "All this stuff--Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the time loops--doesn't it worry you even the slightest bit?"

Hiccup thought about it. "It's certainly strange. I mean, I didn't expect to die, or be sent to some unknown forest, but I guess, since I didn't know anything about Easter Bunnies or Santa Claus, it's not too much of a shock. They just seem sort of eccentric to me, and I'm used to living around eccentric people."

Merida pulled her legs up to her chin. "It bothers  _me_."

Hiccup started to reach out to pat her arm, but midway disguised it as a stretch. Somewhere nearby, Toothless was curled up; although Hiccup couldn't hear the dragon, he sensed his presence and was reassured.

"Maybe it's just that I'm used to so-called 'mythical' creatures."

"I've seen wisps and witches, and talking crows, but I'm still not used to fairies and talking rabbits. But about mythical creatures," Merida looked at Hiccup for the first time during the conversation. "Since when do vikings ride dragons?"

"Well, we don't, really. Just me." Hiccup scratched his head nervously. "I sort of shot down a Night Fury and damaged his wing. The only way for Toothless to fly is if I'm riding him."

Merida's eyes widened. "You tamed a dragon on your own? After you shot it?" She shook her head, making her curls bounce around like the flames. "I didn't think vikings would be so sympathetic."

"I'm not really a typical viking," Hiccup said, shuffling his feet and drawing little patterns in the dirt with the stick.

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"It is!" Hiccup protested. "What use am I to the village if I can't even kill a dragon?"

"Who cares what use you are?" Merida crossed her legs. "And who says killing dragons is the only option?"

"My dad, for one." Hiccup tossed the stick onto the fire. "And everyone else on Berk. It's always 'Stay inside, Hiccup. You'll just make a mess of yourself,' or 'Hey, look, it's Hiccup the Useless'. Or 'You'd be great if you could just be a little less of this'."

"You just gestured to all of you."

"Exactly!" Hiccup shook his head, his eyebrows furrowed. "I have no friends, no talents, and my dad thinks I'm a freak. I'm not even allowed to carry water and put out fires during dragon attacks! I have to stay inside or work at the forge. No one ever listens to me."

"I'm listening."

Hiccup didn't have an answer to that.

Merida tossed a rock into the darkness. "If it makes you feel better, I'm not really a typical Highland princess, either."

Hiccup looked up in surprise. "You're a princess?" How could he have missed that.

Merida huffed. "So? It's not like I asked to be one. I never wanted suitors or manners or tight, stiff dresses."

Suitors? Hiccup wasn't sure why he hated the sound of that. He felt suddenly like he was out of his league.

"Well," he began, "you've certainly led a different life than me, your highness."

"Don't call me 'your highness'!" Merida growled. "My name is Merida!"

"Alright, your highness."

"Shut it, or I'll put an arrow through your hand," Merida said. Hiccup couldn't tell if she was joking or not.

Somewhere above their heads, Jack chuckled.

Merida pulled out her bow and and arrow and shot into the trees. They heard Jack yell and a thump. Merida burst into laughter.

"Not funny, princess!"

 _**~Toothiana~** _

By the time Toothiana flew through the window, North and Sandy were already holding mugs of hot chocolate. A yeti approached her with a similar mug, but she declined it.

"What are we going to do?" she cried. "We don't know where they are, or--"

Sandy blew the slightest speck of dreamsand at Toothiana, enough to calm her down, but not enough to knock her out. She took a few deep breaths. "Sorry!"

"Is okay, Tooth," North said. "This is very troubling turn of events. You are right to be worried."

Sandy formed a bunny out of dreamsand, followed by a question mark.

"I do not know where Bunny is, Sandy. Is not like him to be late."

Toothiana could tell that North was more shaken than he was letting on; his accent was thicker than normal. Soon, she felt, he might lapse into Russian completely.

At that moment a poof of pastel blue smoke appeared out of nowhere, floating at about head height. In the middle, Bunnymund's face could be seen.

"G'day, mates! Sorry about this. We seem to be in Scotland at the moment."

"Bunny!" Toothiana exclaimed. "We need you back right now. The children are missing!"

"What?!" The smoke cloud wavered. "You're kidding."

"Bunny," North said, dead serious, "where did you say you were?"

"Scotland. The timelocked part. Why?"

"Can you use your tunnels to get back?"

"Sure I can! Wait one second." Bunnymund's face disappeared for a bit, replaced by green grass and trees. When he came back, he looked jumpy. "I can't access the tunnels."

"I thought that might be case," North said. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Is Astrid still with you?" Toothiana asked, searching the egg-shaped window for another occupant.

"Yeah, she's right here." Bunnymund scooted over so Astrid could wave.

"Keep her safe, okay? We can't lose all five of them!"

"Five? Jack's gone, too?"

"It would appear so," North said.

Suddenly, the smoke cleared, and a plain white egg dropped to the floor, hatched a peep, and disappeared. In a few moments, a pink cloud appeared.

"Sorry. Egg calls have a time limit."

"Shouldn't you be saving your calls?" Tooth asked.

"I will, I will. What do you think did this?"

Sandy formed a question mark.

"Perhaps," North suggested, "you should search the area."

"Sounds like a good course of action."

"How much longer does the call have?" Tooth asked.

Bunnymund checked. "Ten minutes. I'll close it now. See you later, hopefully. Take care."

Before the Guardians could answer, the smoke cleared again, this time with no egg. One of the elves snuck away with the peep.

 _**~Merida~** _

Before the sun rose, and before any birds started singing, Merida was up and looking for a stream. When she found one, she scanned the shallows for the silver gleam of fish. Breakfast was in order, and Merida knew just how to get it.

A flash of scales alerted the princess to a fish's presence. Before she could spear it with an arrow, she heard a splash downriver. Her head shot up. Eight feet away, Hiccup's dragon was catching its own breakfast.

This close to the dragon, with no other humans around, Merida felt the slightest jolt of uncertainty. She didn't really know this beast. For all she knew, it still had a taste for human meat.

The dragon suddenly turned its large head and met Merida's gaze. She gasped lightly, unsure what to do. Was she supposed to make or avoid eye contact with dragons?

The dragon tilted its head slightly, sizing her up. Then it began to gag, until it heaved up a half-eaten fish. Merida suppressed a giggle. 

The dragon picked up the fish and walked in Merida's direction. When it dropped the fish and nudged it towards her, Merida felt her stomach drop. "You don't actually want me to eat this, do you?"

Something in the creature's expression told her that, yes, she was expected to eat it.

Merida wasn't sure what to do. She really, really didn't want to eat a thrown-up, half-digested aquatic creature. On the other hand, refusing a fully-grown dragon seemed unwise. 

She picked up the fish and, screwing her eyes shut, took a bite. The fish had an unpleasant, squishy consistency, and tasted like a garbage heap smelled. Merida forced herself to swallow, hoping it wouldn't make her sick. "Blegh!"

Much to Merida's chagrin, the dragon seemed to be laughing at her.

"Toothless, where are you?" Hiccup pushed through some bushes. "Oh, good morning, Merida. Toothless, where have you--" He stopped. "Really, Toothless?"

The dragon smiled at Hiccup.

"I'm sorry about Toothless, Merida," Hiccup said, coming up to stand next to Toothless and scratch the dragon behind the ears. "He did that to me, when I met him. But he should know better."

"I thought he might attack me if I didn't eat it."

"He wouldn't hurt anyone. Unless they're threatening someone he cares about."

Merida went back to fishing. "You go wake the sleepyheads. I'll take care of breakfast."

_**~Rapunzel~**  _

During the night, the fire had gone out. When Rapunzel woke up, Jack was sitting nearby, drawing a frost patterns on leaves. He seemed to do that a lot.

"Good morning, Jack," Rapunzel yawned. She untangled her hair from the blankets and started brushing it with her fingers.

"Morning."

Rapunzel leaned over to inspect the frost. "Those are so pretty. How do you make them, Jack?"

"Like this." Jack swept the staff across the roots of the tree, and an intricate, swirling pattern of ice coated the twisted wood. Rapunzel traced a shape and gasped when it melted.

"Amazing..."

"Not really." 

"Oh, don't be so modest, it's truly amazing! Can you make a flower?"

"Sure, that's easy."

"What about a sun?"

"Course."

"Can you make a castle?"

Jack grinned and made a castle. Rapunzel clapped.

"You're pretty enthusiastic for someone who just woke up," Jack said.

"I always am. Mother used to say..." she trailed off. "I shouldn't be here."

"Sorry?"

"Mother warned me. She told me that outside was dangerous, and I needed to stay in the tower. But I left anyway. She must be so worried." Rapunzel sighed. "I'm a horrible daughter."

"What do you mean, 'left the tower'?" Merida came through the trees, carrying a sack of fish. Hiccup and Toothless followed close behind. 

"I've lived in a tower with my mother all my life," Rapunzel said. She looked down at her hands as she talked. "I had a window and a sunroof, and that was it for outside contact. I really,  _really_ wanted to go outside and see the floating lights, but no matter what I said, Mother wouldn't let me." Rapunzel twirled some hair. "Then Flynn came along, and--well, he was going to take me to see the lanterns festival, and he inspired me to leave the tower for the first time in my life." Her voice had taken on a dreamy quality. "I got Mother to leave in search of paint for my birthday, and I left, but..."

"You died," Jack said. He put a hand on Rapunzel's, and she was surprised by how cold it was. "I'm sorry, Rapunzel."

Merida was flushed with rage. "You're kidding! She kept you locked in a tower, like a canary in a cage? What kind of mother would do that to her daughter?"

"She's just worried about me!" Rapunzel cried. "She does't want me to get attacked, or catch the plague, or--"

"Worried? More like paranoid!" Merida began stomping back and forth. "No one should be kept in one room, or one house, or one choice, for their entire life.  _No one_."

Rapunzel was struck dumb by the intensity of Merida's words. "She's my mother. I know she cares."

"But aren't you angry?"

"A bit, but her intentions are good."

That made Merida pause.

"If you two are done with your argument, we should get a move on." Jack stood up and brushed himself off.

"Not without breakfast," Hiccup said, taking the fish from Merida. "Let's cook some now, and smoke the rest for later. Smoked salmon lasts a long time."

Jack retreated. "Call me when the fire's out."

 _**~Astrid~** _

They had reached the edge of the woods, and the castle was now much clearer. It struck Astrid as strange, though, that there was no human activity to be seen.

Bunnymund sniffed and twitched his ears, checking for danger. "Nothing. There should be humans, or at least dogs."

"Let's check it out," Astrid said, striding forward with her axe over her shoulder.

"It's not safe!"

"You don't know that."

"We don't know that it's safe, either!"

"And we  _won't_ know unless we see for ourselves!" Astrid put her free hand on her hip. "We can't just stay here."

"Yes, we can." Bunnymund tilted his head up. "I am not letting you walk into a trap."

"What if it's not a trap?" Astrid said, lowering her voice. "What if it's like my village? This place is out of its time, too. It would make sense."

Bunnymund kept frowning at her, and then uncrossed his arms. "Fine. But if anything suspicious happens, we're leaving."

**_~Gothel~_  **

"Why, exactly, are we not able to grab Rapunzel right now?" she asked Pitch. They were alone in a room containing only a single lightbulb that flickered when Pitch got too close. Gothel had pulled him aside to interogtate him.

"She has to come willingly, or she's no use." Pitch kept his voice even. "She has to be tested, and she to break."

"Do you realize that every day I go without my flower, I am closer to death?" Gothel hissed. "I'm no use to you then. And you're no use to me, if we're too late."

"Patience is a virtue that you lack, my dear," Pitch said. "I know your worries. And I have a temporary solution." He held out a small necklace with a star-shaped pendant. "This pendant is filled with a substance similar to Rapunzel's hair in power. Wear it and your aging process will slow."

"How long will it work for?" Gothel asked, putting it on and tucking the pendant under her dress.

"Long enough."


	7. I'll Never Forget You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from "Lonely Lullabies" by Owl City

_**~Jack~** _

In the soft morning light, Rapunzel's hair had seemed to glow; now, it shone like sunlight. Jack tried his hardest not to stare.

To distract himself, Jack attempted conversation. "Why do you call Toothless...well, Toothless? He seems to have a nice set of teeth. Tooth would probably flip."

"How many teeth references can we stuff into three sentences?" Merida muttered.

In response to Jack's question, Toothless turned his head and bared his teeth. Jack watched as the dragon retracted and deployed its teeth.

"He was hiding his teeth the second time I got a good look at him. The first time, I got a really good look." Hiccup swung at a low-hanging branch, which came swinging back to smack him in the face. "Ow! Why does that always happen?"

Jack joined Rapunzel and Merida in laughing.

_**~Astrid~** _

Astrid and Bunnymund stood before the castle doors. On their way through the village, they had encountered no signs of human life. Now Astrid pushed the doors open and felt a twinge of apprehension that she couldn't shake.

The soon found out why no one was out and about: in every room of the castle, people lay sprawled on the floor. Astrid knew they weren't dead, because their chests rose and fell with deep, even breaths. It was like they had all gone under in the midst of their morning schedule.

On his throne, the king--at least, Astrid assumed he was the king--snored. There were lots of men in kilts scattered about the floor, holding various weapons.

Bunnymund was getting more antsy by the minute. "Where's the queen? I haven't seen the queen."

"Maybe she died?"

Bunnymund shook his head. "The other throne isn't dusty or unused. Someone sat in it recently. Well, recently for this time."

Astrid wandered between the bodies, wondering if this was similar to how a soldier felt walking across a battlefield. "What d'ya think happened?"

"Sleeping Beauty."

"Sorry?"

"It's an old fable," Bunnymund said. "A princess was cursed to fall asleep for one hundred years. Her entire castle fell asleep with her, and an impenetrable barrier of rose bushes grew. Many princes tried to reach the princess, but the briars killed each and every one of them, because they weren't the princess's true love. Then, when the hundred years was up, a prince cut through the hedges, and the bushes bloomed and let him through. He climbed to the highest tower and woke the princess with a kiss." Bunnymund looked around the room. "I imagine the castle would have looked something like this."

"So you think there's a princess in here?"

"I think this is a witch's doing."

_**~Sandman~** _

He traveled as fast as he could towards Venice. The others might not feel it, but Sandy could.

Pitch was back.

_**~Pitch~** _

He patted the dragon's head and sent it off. Controlling the beasts made his life so much easier, and they were so much more reliable than nightmares. Even if Pitch wasn't the one who held full sway over them.

"We have a visitor," Pitch announced. Gothel and Mor'du sprang to attention, Mor'du hefting an axe.

"Gothel, how would you feel about subduing the Sandman?"

She smiled. "It would be my pleasure."

_**~Sandman~**  _

When he dropped into the Nightmare Palace, there was no noise. The place seemed abandoned. 

Out of the shadows, a cloak came forth. The owner threw back the hood to reveal curly dark hair. "So this is the famous Sandman."

Sandy glared at her. Something about her put him on edge.

The woman held out a hand, and a ball of fire appeared. "So sorry to do this on our first meeting, but I'm afraid I can't allow you to leave." A wicked grin split her face as she thrust her hand towards the Sandman. Fire streamed forth, but Sandy countered with a sand blast, and soon glass was clattering to the floor between them. The woman disappeared and reappeared behind Sandy. She raised her hands, and the shadows around her moved, as if they were puppets. She forced them towards the Sandman. He surrounded himself with glittering dreamsand, creating a creating a barrier. In response, the shadows created a circle around the battling figures. Outside the sand coffin, Gothel smiled. She twisted her hand through the air and squeezed.

The dreamsand constricted around the Sandman, crushing his neck, his stomach, his limbs; he was held in place, unable to fight back. Sandy's vision began to fade, spots swimming in front of him. He heard the woman laugh.

Then, a deep, sonorous voice cut through the shadows, reaching Sandy as if through a thick, dark fog. 

_"Flower, gleam and glow,_

_Let your powers shine..."_

Around Sandy, the dreamsand began to glow as if heated by a lava stream of sunlight. The pressure loosened, and Sandy sucked in a deep breath.

" _Make the clock reverse,_

_Bring back what once was mine."_

The voice sounded familiar to Sandy, but he wasn't sure why.

_"Heal what has been hurt..."_

The dreamsand dropped from Sandy's body and began to swirl. The woman across from Sandy seemed frightened, unsure.

_"Change the Fates' design...."_

Then the shadows moved, and Pitch Black stood withing the circle. The last person Sandy had ever thought would come to his rescue.

_"Save what has been lost,_

_Bring back what once was mine..."_

The sand began to form something in front of Pitch. It sharpened into focus as a little girl. Pitch reached out a hand to rest on top of the sand-girl's head, but stopped inches from it.

_"...What once was mine."_

He waved a hand, and the glowing stopped. The sand-girl disappeared.

Pitch met Sandy's eyes and said, in a low, threatening growl, "Go."

Sandy needed no second prompting.

**_~Gothel~_  **

"What was that?" she demanded. "You're just letting him go? I did what you asked of me!"

"I told you to  _subdue_ the Sandman, not kill him."

"You can subdue by killing! What was I supposed to think? And now he knows we're involved!"

"If you kill him, you kill yourself!" Pitch whispered, yet his voice echoed around the room. "Your necklace contains a small amount of dreamsand. If the source dies, the sand loses its power."

Gothel clasped a hand to her chest, where the pendant rested.

"Haven't you ever wondered," Pitch continued, "what made that flower so special?"

He didn't wait for an answer. He started pacing, gesturing every so often as he spoke.

"When the flower first started, it was an ordinary seed. It drifted on the wind and landed on a patch of sand, dreamsand, dropped by the Sandman. The flower was nourished by the magic sand and became a Dream Flower. Dreams never grow old, they never truly die. They stick in the subconcious waiting for a moment to emerge. The flower could make certain dreams a reality." He stopped pacing. "It conformed to the dreams of the first person to use it."

"Me," Gothel whispered.

"You. And because you wanted youth, it became a healing plant. When the queen ate the plant, it granted her wish for a child, but it remained a healing plant."

"I made it what it is today." Gothel beamed. "I deserve it."

"Plants do not have a sense of ownership, Gothel."

"But humans do."

"Humans are weak." He sized her up. "You are something more. You seem to have embraced your witchcraft wholeheartedly."

Gothel's first instinct was to deny it, but she didn't. That was the old Gothel, the one without power.

_Why did I ever give this up?_ she wondered.

"But the Sandman--"

"The Guardians will be thrown into disarray. The Sandman owes me, and he will fulfull his obligation. As for the others..." Pitch grinned frighteningly. "I have plans for them, too."

_**~Hiccup~** _

As he walked, Hiccup's thoughts kept returning to the words North had spoken to him, before he was moved to the forest.

//////

_"The most important part of being Guardian is finding your center. You can only truly protect others if you know who you are, what you fight for, and why you are trying to protect it."_

_"Its is harder for some people to find their center. Jack found his only when he was faced with great danger. It almost happened too late for us."_

_North lifted a matryoshka, a Russian nesting doll, from a shelf. Hiccup had never seen one before. He was fascinated._

_"I make these for all Guardians who find their center. There is a doll for every aspect of their personalites. In the center is, well...the center!"_

_Hiccup opened the matryoshka, closely examining each meticulously painted doll. When he got to the last one, he was deeply confused._

_"A baby?"_

_North threw his hands up. "Why is it always with the baby? Look closer."_

_So he did. "Why are the eyes so large?"_

_"So I can see wonder in everything. Is symbolic!"_

_The North gripped Hiccup's shoulders so hard it hurt. "Finding your center is a long and difficult process. There will be many false answers and surprises. When it comes to you, though, you will realize that you knew all along. For some, finding center is more important than for others. Some never find it." He straightened up. "And some have more than one."_

_"More than one center?"_

_"More than one reason to change. Finding your center can change the way you see the world. Sometimes changing the way you see the world helps you find your center. It may be scary, but it will all be okay."_

_"What do you think my center is?" Hiccup asked hopefully._

_"You must find out for yourself, my boy."_

//////

Hiccup wanted to find his center. He wanted to know what he was meant for. What made him different from everyone else he'd ever known. 

Part of him wanted to squash it.

He looked around at his companions. What were their centers? What drove them forward, motivated them to change, to overcome disbelief or fear of the unknown? Jack's was fun, but could fun alone keep someone from breaking?

Already, Hiccup could feel his world changing.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MWAHAHAHAHA I've been waiting to add in this little plot bunny. Making parallels is my favorite part of crossovers.


	8. Bow To Your Queen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title: "Dirty Work" by Halestorm

_**~Hiccup~** _

"So," Merida said. "You're getting around pretty well on that new leg of yours."

Hiccup glanced down at the replacement limb, self-concious, even though most of it was covered by his pants. "Yeah, I guess."

"There's no need to be so embarassed, Hiccup! You're not the first man I've seen with a false leg. My dad has a wooden one."

"Really?"

"Yep! A bear called Mor'du bit it right off!"

Toothless managed to look ashamed. Hiccup patted him. "It's not your fault, buddy."

"What exactly happened to your leg?" Merida asked.

"I'm not sure, but judging by the way the wound looked, I think Toothless tried to catch me before I fell into the fireball."

"That sounds painful," Jack said. 

Merida nudged Hiccup. "Well, you got a nice battle scare from it!" She laughed. Then all of a sudden her laugh choked off, and her eyes widened in surprise. Shadows began collecting around her. As Jack, Rapunzel, and Hiccup lunged toward her, she stretched out a hand. Hiccup almost brushed her fingertips before she was gone with a cry.

 _**~Merida~** _

The first thing Merida noticed was the softness of the mattress under her. Then her eyes adjested to the dark.

She climbed out of the bed and down a set of stairs. She needed to know where she was, so she went towards the first opening she saw: a closed window.

When she opened it, though, she gasped and drew back.

She was in a tower, high off the ground. Merida searched in vain for a door, a hatchway, any way out of the tower.

"Hello, Merida," a motherly voice said. Merida whirled around and saw a woman in a red dress.

"How do you know my name?"

"A mothre always knows her daughter's friends."

Something clicked in Merida's mind. You're Rapunzel's mother. The woman who trapped her daughter in a tower." Merida clenched her hands into fists.

"I did it out of love. Perhaps I was wrong. But, you, of all people, should know that a mother has to make unpleasant choices to protect her child."

Merida's heart hurt. She thought of her own mother.

"What do you want with me?" she asked.

The woman smiled. "I'm so glad you asked."

Suddenly, the window slammed shut, drenching the room in darkness.

"I know all about you and your mother, dear," said Rapunzel's mother. "And I think you need to learn some obedience. I won't have my daughter hanging around someone so disrespectful. She might pick up some bad habits." There was a sound like stone scraping against stone followed by silence. When Merida opened the window again, the woman was nowhere in sight, and Merida was completely trapped.

The walls seemed to be closing in on her. Merida scraped at the mortar between the stones of the tower, screamed for help, tried to make a ladder out of clothing and bedding; nothing worked. Finally, exhaustion overcame terror and desperation, and Merida collapsed on the ground by the window, crying until sleep mercifully claimed her.

_**~Gothel~**  _

Gothel laughed as she strode proudly into the room of the Nightmare Palace. She was met with applause, much to her delight.

Pitch ceased clapping and regarded her. "Perfect. You've performed spectacularly."

"Not even a name dropped."

Mor'du snorted. "So? There's no need for sneaking if you can snap necks."

Pitch turned and sat opposite Mor'du, resuming a game of chess that Mor'du was losing. Badly.

"You have to be cheating," Mor'du growled.

"Perhaps if you developed at least a fraction of a defensive strategy, you would fare better." Pitch moved a knight and captured Mor'du's last rook.

"Defense is for cowards. You charge full-force, gathering scars and scaring your opponents into submission with terrifying battle cries!"

"Typical male," Gothel muttered.

**_~Jack~_ **

Something in his heart froze--the uncomfortable kind of freezing--when Merida disappeared. There was only one reason Jack could think of for those shadows. 

"Pitch," he muttered. Aloud, he said, "We need to find her. Hiccup, you head east. Blondie, you're coming with me."

"I can go west," Rapunzel said. "We'll cover more ground."

"Not an option," Jack said as Hiccup and Toothless hurried away, "it's too dangerous."

"What about Hiccup?"

"He has a fire-breathing lizard. I'd say he's pretty well armed."

 _**~Sandy~** _

As soon as Sandy flew through the window, he collapsed on the floor. North and Tooth surrounded him, full of queries.

"Where were you, Sandy?"

"What happened?"

"Are you okay?"

"Did you find them?"

Sandy held up a hand to silence his friends. After a few more moments of catching his breath, Sandy launched into a sand-show, doing his best to explain with only pictures. Somehow, the message got across.

"We should go after Pitch," North said, reaching over the mantel for his swords. 

Sandy shook his head.

"I do not care if you owe him, Sandy," North retorted. "He is too dangerous!"

Sandy stood his ground and glared at North. He resolutely shook his head. To North's surprise, Toothiana took his side. Outnumbered, North rubbed his eyes and groaned. "You realize this is advantage for Pitch?"

Sandy nodded.

"Fine. But only this once!"

"North," Tooth asked when Sandy left to look for food, "who do you think the girl was?"

"The one that was in the sand?"

"Yes."

"I do not know. Perhaps we will find out."

_**~Merida~** _

Ten days passed, and Merida had given up trying to escape the tower that held her trapped.

It was all she could do to keep from going mad.

Sometimes, Merida would wake up and find food and water to last a few days sitting in the middle of the floor. A new book appeared, but Merida wasn't one for reading, so she placed it on the shelf next to the other three and left it unopened.

On the third day, Merida, inspecting the mural that covered the walls of the upper story, found the painting that was hidden behind long curtains, of a girl with long blonde hair staring at lights in the sky. Merida wasn't sure what it meant, but she recognized the girl, and realized that it was Rapunzel who had painted all of the pictures. Despite herself, she found her respect for her companion growing; the girl  _had_ to be self-taught. After that, Merida paid more attention to the paintings, trying to see if she could glean anything of Rapunzel's life. She found a very small untouched corner of a wall and tried to paint, but her stick figure looked more like a blob, and, suddenly worried that Rapunzel would be angry at her for drawing on her walls, Merida placed the guitar in front of it.

On the fifth day, Merida tossed all the food out the window in protest. The next morning, more food was there to take its place, but instead of the usual, plain food, someone had managed to get haggis, smoked salmon, and cock-a-leekie soup.

By the tenth day, Merida couldn't bring herself to get out of bed.

**_~Jack~_  **

Hiccup hadn't returned yet. Rapunzel had insisted, on the fifth day, that they turn back and reconvene with the viking; she was afraid they would lose him. 

During those ten days, Jack and Rapunzel got to know each other better. Jack told her all about how he went from Jack Overland to Jack Frost; Rapunzel talked about the lights that appeared every day on her birthday. And she talked about Flynn Rider a lot. 

Jack felt irrationally jealous whenever the other man was mentioned. He had begun to feel warm--not unpleasantly so, but like a normal human might feel warmth--whenever he was around Rapunzel. Everything about the girl made him happy: her smile, her laugh, the way even the smallest things excited her. It was so easy to be around her.

_**~Hiccup~**  _

After five days of going east, Hiccup began the return journey, heading southeast for four days. Even though he knew he must be at least a little off course, Hiccup refused to stop. Something about the look in Merida's eyes, before she disappeared, stayed with Hiccup. He wasn't about to let her go.

On the tenth day after the group split up, Hiccup felt himself pass through an invisible barrier, much like the one he'd felt when entering the vicinity of Berk. He knew he'd entered a time bubble.

He kept flying, scanning the forest for a flash of orange. Then, up ahead, a tower appeared. Hiccup's mind returned to story Rapunzel had told, and decided it was as good a place to start looking as any.

He maneuvered Toothless alongside the window and called out, "Anyone home?"

 _**~Merida~** _

A familiar voice finally roused her from her apathy. At first, she was convinced it was a figment of her imagination, but when she heard it again, Merida jumped out of bed and hastened to the lone window.

_**~Hiccup~**  _

It was Merida, but she looked different. She had bags under her eyes, and her hair seemed limp. She was paler and less exhuberant. It frightened him.

"Hiccup! You're here!" Merida climbed up onto the windowsill. "You have to get me away from here. I can't stand it any longer!"

Hiccup nodded and reached out with hands. "You're going to have to jump."

Merida took a few steps back. "If you drop me, I'll kill you."

Before she could leap, a powerful wind kicked up, and Toothless was blown five feet farther from the tower. No matter how hard the dragon flapped its wings, they couldn't fight the unnatural wind.

"Hiccup!" Merida reached out a hand to him, her face a picture of fear.

"I'll come back, I promise!"

Hiccup turned Toothless around, and with an apologetic glance backwards, he left. "I'm sorry."

 _**~Jack~** _

When Hiccup and Toothless landed that night, Jack could tell something was wrong. 

"Did you find her?" she asked.

Hiccup nodded. "She's in a tower by a waterfall, southeast of here. I tried to get to her, but this weird wind wouldn't let me."

"Wind?" Jack asked. He wracked his brain for a wind spirit that might want to keep Merida to itself, but couldn't think of anything.

"Tower?" Rapunzel asked, "what sort of tower?"

Hiccup described it, and Rapunzel's eyes widened.

"That's my tower," she whispered.

"You're kidding."

"I wouldn't joke about something like this."

"Let's go, then." Jack nodded to Hiccup. "You'll carry Blondie, right?"

"What do you plan to do?" Hiccup asked.

"We'll figure it out when we get there," Jack said, grinning.

 _**~Bunnymund~** _

He had used up the rest of his ten minutes from the previous egg call to inform the Guardians about the state of the castle. With only a couple of egg calls left, he would have to spread out his briefings.

"What now?" Astrid asked. "Should we stay here for the night?"

"Not on your life. Whoever did this might come back."

"What for?"

"Witches work in mysterious ways."

"Okay, where to, then?" Astrid smirked.

"Town limits. Back to the forest, where there's cover."

Astrid hefted her axe over her shoulder and followed Bunnymund through the streets and into the forest. Night was falling, so the two of them found a dry place to sleep.

 _**~Astrid~** _

It seemed as if she had just closed her eyes when she was awoken by a loud, wet snuffling noise and a strange breeze blowing directly on her face. Blearily, Astrid opened her eyes. She snapped awake.

"Bunnymund?" she whispered.

"Just don't move," his concerned voice said from somewhere to the right. Astrid didn't dare take her eyes off the large black nose in front of her face. She didn't want to see the rest of the bear.

"Help me," she whispered.

"It's all under control."

"Then do something!"

Suddenly, the bear stood up and roared. It turned its head to one side and regarded Astrid with mild hostility, and--strangely enough--superiority. As if it knew who or what Astrid was, and didn't approve.

Now that Astrid had a better view of the creature, she noticed something even stranger: a small gold tiara inset with a green gem, balanced atop the bear's head. As she watched, the bear reached up and straightened the crown, then folded its paws together.

Astrid stood up hastily and reached for her axe, but it wasn't there. She caught a glimpse of it on the other side of the bear, with Bunnymund.

The bear leaned forward and dug a claw into the dirt before dragging it. Astrid shot a questioning look at Bunnymund, who shrugged. 

When Astrid looked down at what the bear was doing, she saw the letter  _H_.

The bear continued to form letters until the ground read:  _Have you seen my daughter Merida?_

This bear knew Merida. It knew how to write. How was any of this possible? How could a bear be Merida's mother?

The bear tapped the message urgently. "Um..." Astrid looked at Bunnymund again. He nodded vigorously. "Yes, I have."

The bear quickly rubbed out the first message and wrote another.  _Is she okay?_

"That's not an easy question to answer," Bunnymund ventured. The bear spun around and growled at him, but he kept talking, explaining how Merida had become an Immortal. The bear grew more and more agitated. Then it scratched out:  _Where is she?_

"We...don't know."

The bear roared and began pacing. Then it rounded on Astrid and wrote:  _Who are you? You look like a viking._

"I-I am a viking. From Berk. My name is Astrid Hofferson."

A growl from the creature.  _Vikings are not welcome here._

"You don't need to write," Bunnymund said. "I can speak bear."

The bear growled again, longer this time.

"What's it saying?"

"It," said Bunnymund, "is a she. We are currently in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Elinor of DunBroch, Merida's mother. And she wants to know who's responsible for the state of her kingdom."

 


	9. This Glorious Sadness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan.

_**~Merida~** _

The night after Hiccup found her, Merida was visited by Rapunzel's mother.

"You had a visitor."

"Aye."

"Can you tell me how he found you?"

"How should I know?"

The woman smiled coldly. "He won't come back, you know. Why should he? What use is a spoiled princess to him?"

"He wouldn't leave me," Merida insisted. "He's my friend."

"Is he really? You've known him for such a short time. Perhaps he's not the chivalrous outcast he pretends to be."

Merida glared. "You don't know him."

"Neither do you."

After that, the shadows darkened and the woman left, but the seed of doubt had been planted. Each hour that passed without Hiccup seemed to confirm her words.

_**~Hiccup~**  _

On his way to find Jack and Rapunzel, the wind had hurried the dragon and rider along. Now, with an extra passenger, the wind fought them every wingbeat of the way. Toothless had to strain to make any significant progress.

Jack, on the other hand, was fine. If it weren't for the two on dragonback and his refusal to leave them, he could have gotten to the tower that very night.

Finally, Hiccup was forced to land Toothless. The dragon was exhausted and completely spent, and darkness was falling.

Jack landed, too. "What's wrong with your dragon?"

"Something's fighting us. The wind."

"What wind?" Jack asked, puzzled.

Hiccup stopped talking and went to work taking off Toothless's saddle. Rapunzel did her best to explain.

 _At this rate, it'll be two more days until we get to the tower. Maybe longer._ Hiccup wasn't okay with that. He remembered how beaten Merida had seemed, and he dreaded what would happen in two or three days.

But there was nothing he could do. He let Toothless light a fire and wrapped a blanket around his shoulders. Rapunzel created a cocoon of hair, and Jack sat, as usual, far away from the fire.

Rapunzel reached out and laid a hand on Hiccup's. "We'll get her back, Hiccup. Don't worry."

He looked sideways at her. "Aren't you worried?"

"Yeah, but...you seem really stressed about it. I'm sure Merida will be fine."

"She didn't look fine," Hiccup said, pulling his knees up to his chin. "She looked like she was fading."

"Fading? How?" Jack wandered closer.

"She looks...sick."

Jack sighed with relief. "So she's not actually disappearing?"

"Why would she be?"

Jack refused to say more.

_**~Rapunzel~**  _

The morning dawned bright and chilly. A small bird chirped near Rapunzel's ear. Then it chirped more insistently. 

Rapunzel blinked awake. The bird was colorful and held a note in its claw. When Rapunzel took the note, it flew away. Strangely, it seemed to lose color.

Rapunzel unfolded the note.

_Dear Rapunzel,_

_I hope you're well! We're all worried about you four, and we're doing our best to find you. Jack's with you, though (I hope), so you should all be safe. The bird I sent will become a normal bird once the note is delivered, by the way._

_I never told you the end of my story, did I? Silly me. But I thought it would be too depressing. I think now that secrets will get us nowhere, and the whole truth ought to be told._

_I didn't know at the time of my death, but I was pregnant. When I became a Guardian, I laid an egg, and the first few mini fairies were born. My child was transformed, just as I was. I knew, then, that Manny was good. He didn't need to save my child--it's easy to make new mini fairies--but he did._

_Sometimes, Rapunzel, it seems as if you've let someone down. Like it's hopeless. And sometimes it is. But there are plenty of times when things heal so much more wonderfully than they could otherwise._

_I'm sure Flynn understands._

_With love,_

_Toothiana <3 _

Bittersweet tears welled up in Rapunzel's eyes. She clutched the paper to her chest, and whispered, "Thank you."

 **_~Hiccup~_ **

Another day went by just like the first. When night fell, Hiccup left Rapunzel sleeping by the fire, with Toothless to guard her.

"This is unusual," Jack said when Hiccup sat beside him. "Fire too warm for you?"

"How do you know when you've found your center?" Hiccup asked.

"North told you about that, huh?" Jack twirled his staff. "You don't have to find it right away, you know. It took me centuries."

"How do you know, though?"

"Can't speak for anyone else, but I realized what mine was during a battle. Fun is how I keep people from giving up. It lifts spirits and promises better things to come. It's how I work my way out of problems. It's what I'm all about, and what I've always been about."

"Then how come it took you so long?"

Jack tilted his head up to look at the spot where the moon would be, if the clouds and leaves weren't obscuring it. "When I first became an Immortal, I had no memory of my life as Jackson Overland. Everything was stored in my baby teeth, in the Tooth Palace, except we didn't know that. The Guardians thought I remembered, because everyone else always did. I think Manny had something to do with me forgetting. He let me know my name--Jack Frost--but that was it. He never spoke to me again, for all those years."

"Why?" Hiccup asked. "What good was keeping your memories from you?"

"Sometimes," Jack said, "when you're scared, the fear takes over. It swallows you up, and you can't even remember your own name. I fell through ice, right in front of my little sister. I froze to death. Those moments of falling, of drowning...I was too scared to even try to swim back up." Jack sighed. "As great as it would have been to remember from the beginning, I wasn't ready. I was unstable--especially once I realized no one could see me. New powers, new name, new appearance--I would have clung to my life as Jackson Overland instead of moving on as Jack Frost. And I wouldn't have been there to help the Guardians. 

"Manny protected me from all that. Once I got over being invisible, I began to play little games. I was happy, even if I was lonely. If I had remembered the look on my sister's face when I fell...if I could remember my parents, and think about how they must have felt when she came home alone...I wouldn't have been able to stand that. 

Hiccup looked down at Jack's feet, bare but not dirty. It struck him that this boy, his traveling companion, and someone he inexplicably trusted with his life, was a complete mystery. 

"Do you ever wish you could go back?" Hicup asked.

"Sometimes I wish I could've told my sister that I was okay. And my parents. It's hard to believe they're...that they've--" Jack's voice cracked with emotion, and he turned away. Hiccup respectfully tuned out the other boy's tears, letting his mind wander until Jack had composed himself. "But of course, I never had that choice. Physical changes and all that."

When Jack saw the confused look on Hiccup's face, he clarified. "North chose to stay an Immortal, and a Guardian, so he probably wouldn't have thought to tell you. Or maybe he just didn't want to disappoint you."

Hiccup's heart sank. Dreading the answer, he nevertheless asked the question: "What do you mean?"

"Man, you're just full of questions tonight!" Jack pointed to Hiccup's metal leg. "Your wound. You didn't have that while you were alive, did you?"

Hiccup shook his head. "But I got it before I became Immortal. I think."

"It doesn't matter. If it were anything other than a physical change, it would have healed, like the rest of your wounds. You and your dragon are Immortals, whether you like it or not."

Hiccup was finding it hard to breathe all of a sudden. "But that means...I can't go back and live in my village."

"Well, you can, but everyone else will age. And if no one believes in you, no one will be able to see or touch you."

Hiccup's vision swam, and the ground rose to meet him. Vaguely, he was aware of a voice calling his name, but it was too far away, too insignificant, to merit attention.

Gone were Hiccup's plans for the future. He would never marry a nice viking girl like Astrid and settle down as the chief--or, preferably, blacksmith--of Berk. His dad would never see him become an adult. He would never gain the respect of the villagers. He would be a freak if he went back home.

There was no place for Hiccup now. He was on his own, and in a few decades he would be even more alone. Everyone he cared about--Astrid, Fishlegs, his father, Gobber, even Snotlout--would be dead, or grown beyond recognition. All except Toothless. But what was a dragon when you lacked human company?"

And there would never be any sons or daughters to raise, to watch as they grew; Stoick would never have grandchildren. Another failure. 

He didn't mind the blackness of oblivion. It was a relief.

 _**~Jack~** _

Fainting aside, Hiccup didn't look so good. Jack was worried the boy might vomit, and he really didn't want to have to clean that up. 

Jack gingerly lifted Hiccup and half-pulled, half-carried him back into the firelight. Rapunzel rolled in her sleep and mumbled something about a rainbow as Jack set Hiccup on his side and began to sneak away.

He paused beside Rapunzel. She looked angelic in sleep--calm, innocent, beautiful. The slight pout of her lips and the shadow of her nose made her already-young features look even younger.

Jack resisted a growing urge to sit down and never move, and returned with great effort to his seat on the cold, leaf-covered forest floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for slow update! I've got roughly three days of school left (all half days, thank goodness) and finals, and I couldn't think of a name for this chapter. Hopefully during the summer, I can update more often.
> 
> I really need to add more Jackunzel.


	10. Change The Fates' Design

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title is part of the healing incantation from Tangled.
> 
> This was originally going to be two chapters, but I thought the first part ended at a bad time and was too short, so I added the fun part.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT:  
> Despite the wonderful comments I've gotten, and despite the amount of effort I've put into this, I'm not fully satisfied. I'd like to try, when I've finished this fic, making another Big Four fic in the Big Four world that is more...traditional, I guess? Without the dying and stuff. Something with more options for what happens and more adventure. It would take a while to storyboard and write, but I was wondering if any of you would be interested in reading it. I know it's weird to have two Big Four universes, but I have way too many ideas that don't fit this fic. This is sort of my darker fic, where they barely get to have fun. My other one would hopefully have more humor. 
> 
> If you think it would be interesting, please tell me.

_**~Merida~** _

Days had passed, and Merida had given up hope that Hiccup, or anyone, was coming back for her. She stayed on top of the covers and thought about nothing.

Suddenly, her view of the ceiling was obstructed by a beaming face. "Merida!"

"Rapunzel?"

"You're okay?!" Rapunzel clapped her hands and dragged Merida out of bed, twirling as she let go. "C'mon, we're getting you out of here!"

"Wait!" Merida backed up. "How do I know this isn't a trick?"

"Why would I trick you?"

"Hiccup isn't coming back. He'd be here by now if he was."

"But Hiccup  _is_ here. The wind was too strong for Toothless to fly, so I climbed up here." Rapunzel took Merida's hands. "I'm sorry it took us so long."

Merida only nodded and hesitantly followed Rapunzel to the window. Hiccup and Jack waited at the base of the tower. When they saw her, they waved. 

"Long time, no see!" Jack shouted. 

"I'll climb down first, and then you, okay?" Rapunzel said, looping her hair around a hook before jumping into open air and free-falling to the ground. She came to a stop seconds before she would have hit the earth. 

"It's so much easier the second time," she said before calling out, "Your turn!"

Merida's hands were shaking, but she'd climbed things that were steeper and higher than this without a rope of any sort. Still, the idea of sliding down Rapunzel's hair made her stomach flutter. 

As Merida began her descent, the wind picked up. Merida whimpered and gripped the hair tighter.

"Careful!"

"I'm trying to be, Frost!" Merida forced her hands to relax and keep going. 

The wind rushed at her again, and this time, Merida lost her grip.

For an instant, she fell backwards. Then she was tumbling though empty space, with the ground rushing towards her. Merida screwed her eyes shut and held back a scream.

**_~Hiccup~_  **

Before Jack or Rapunzel could react, Hiccup rushed forward. Moments before Merida hit the ground, he caught her, stumbling backwards into Toothless. It took another moment for Merida to open her eyes and regain her breath. She looked down at herself, as if she couldn't believe she wasn't dead.  Then she looked at Hiccup.

When she opened her mouth, Hiccup expected a thank you; it was what he would have done. Instead, she said, "You can put me down now."

"You're welc--oh. Oh! Right." He set her on her feet. "Sorry."

Merida brushed herself off and regarded Hiccup. "You came back."

"Of course I did, I said I would."

Merida nodded. Then she punched him. "What took you so long, lad?"

Hiccup rubbed his tender arm. "What is it with girls and hitting?"

Merida just laughed.

_**~Pitch~**  _

"Let them go, Gothel."

"But...!"

"The first cracks have already been made. Don't you see?"

_**~Rapunzel~** _

Hiccup and Merida met up with Jack and Rapunzel in the forest; Hiccup had insisted on taking Merida for a spin on Toothless. When they landed, Merida slid off the dragon. "I can't believe I actually rode on a dragon!" 

Then Rapunzel tackle-hugged Merida. "We were so worried about you! What happened? Tell me everything!"

Merida's smile dropped. "I was locked in a tower. By your mum."

"What?" Jack said.

"Mother wouldn't do that!"

"She did! She seemed desperate. Like she was trying to replace you with me, but it wasn't the same."

Rapunzel looked to be on the verge of tears. Instead, she brushed a finger under Merida's eye. 

"What are you doing?" Merida asked, stumbling back.

"You look exhausted," Rapunzel said. She began gathering her hair.

"Now what are you doing?"

"Just trust me, Merida." Rapunzel handed a hairbrush to the girl and turned around. "Brush my hair."

"Why?"

"Because I can help."

"It's already brushed."

"Just do it. Please."

Merida sighed and started running the brush through Rapunzel's hair. Rapunzel waited for Merida to sink into a rythym before singing.

The minute Rapunzel's hair began glowing, Merida faltered. A rap on the knee startled her into resuming, but she gazed warily at the lava-like glowing pattern of the golden hair.

Rapunzel knew, if she turned around, she would see the bags disappearing beneath brightening blue eyes. By the end of the song, Merida looked as good as new.

"That was weird," Hiccup said.

"That was  _amazing,"_ Jack said.

"How...?" Merida murmured.

"I've always been able to do it," Rapunzel explained, nervously stroking her hair. "Mother never told me why."

"No wonder she kept you hidden away," Hiccup said. "You'd either scare people away, or they'd try to kidnap you."

"Someone  _did_ kidnap her," Jack said.

"Flynn did  _not_ kidnap me, Jack!" Rapunzel said, folding her arms. "I chose to go. I held him hostage until he promised to take me to the see the lights."

"Still shady," Jack teased.

Rapunzel twitched a strand of hair and flicked Jack's face with it. He just laughed, and Rapunzel smiled at the sound.

**_~Astrid~_  **

"Why can't anything ever work out right?" Astrid muttered to herself. She'd sincerely been hoping that the bear/queen would leave her and Bunnymund alone, but Elinor seemed to have a different idea: she wanted help finding a woman--a witch, actually--who could change the queen of the land back into a human. Astrid had been in no position to decline; with a bear inches away and her back to a tree, who in their right mind would say no? 

Admittedly, the forest was beautiful. None of the scraggly Berk trees grew here; everything here was old, or a new-yet-healthy sapling, with ferns and moss growing abundantly wherever there was room. Even the pines looked more abundant, the needles greener and thickly packed on the branches. Astrid was beginning to enjoy herself. Then she saw the standing stones and shivered. 

Astrid was legitimately creeped out by the stones, although she would never admit it, and she didn't fancy returning to them and their ancient, overpowering aura. But the bear was in charge now, and if the stones were where she wanted to take them, Astrid would just have to follow.

Once they stood in the center, Elinor turned around and growled.

"She wants to know if you see anything blue." Bunnymund was much more composed about the whole business than Astrid, but he was still jumpy, and his ears and nose twitched almost constantly. 

"Okay," Astrid said, placing her hands on her hips. "Let's see, the sky, some flowers, a..."Astrid stopped. Eight feet away, a small blue flame floated above the ground, cooing. It seemed to beckon with it's wispy little arms.

"What's that, Bunnymund?"

"There's nothing there."

But the bear was sniffing in the same direction that Astrid was pointing. She grunted, and Bunnymund translated: "Her majesty believes you are seeing a wisp."

A wisp? Astrid had heard stories of those, differing from person to person. Some insisted that will-o'-the-wisps were demons sent to lure the lost and cold to their death; others told of finding their way out of a forest, or meeting a fellow traveler who pointed them in the direction of adventure. Fate, Astrid had decided long ago, was a tricky thing that was easily changeable, a road of many paths and choices that all added up to a final destination that everyone shared: death. It was what you did on the way that mattered. 

As for wisps, Astrid had never believed in them, but she had decided that, in a reality where they did exist, they were neutral forces, perfectly content to sit back and watch when needed. Looking at the one in front of her, she was filled with a strange warmth. Part of her knew that it might be a false sense of confidence; still, it was hard to believe that this little light intended harm. So she took a few steps forward, a hand outstretched. She inched closer and closer to the wisp, vaguely aware of her travel companions following at a safe distance. When she was almost close enough to touch the wisp, Astrid's fingers closed on air--and the wisp--or possibly another one--appeared a few feet farther into the forest. Astrid followed that one, too, and the next, and the next, until, had she looked back, she would have seen no sign of the standing stones. Astrid didn't look back, or to the side; her attention was fully directed toward the trail of wisps that stretched out in front of her in brilliant blue.

And then there were no more wisps, and Astrid realized she had led Bunnymund and Elinor into a strange clearing that she did not know how to leave. She longed for the calm light of the wisps. Surveying the clearing, she noticed a house--a cottage, more like a shack, really--cut into a hillside. She exchanged a look with Bunnymund. He nodded, then bounded ahead and knocked on the door with his foot, gently, so as not to bust the door in. Beside Astrid, the bear's shoulders hunched and a tangible tension emanated. 

There was a loud crashing and banging from inside the cottage, and a wizened, white-haired crone opened the wooden door, a charming smile plastered on her wrinkled face. "Hello! Quality wood carvings here, nothing but wood carvings..." Then the woman caught sight of the bear, and her eyes widened. With a yelp, the woman slammed the door shut.

Elinor huffed and backed up. Bunnymund pulled Astrid out of the way just before Elinor charged the door and knocked it down. Astrid heard crashes as tables of carvings fell to the floor.

Bunnymund and Astrid stepped into the barely-lit interior of the house. Every surface was covered in carvings, mostly of bears. The elderly woman cowered behind a chair with bear claws for armrests, a raven huddling on a perch in the corner. 

"I'm sorry! But I didn't make that, I swear!" The woman pointed at Bunnymund.

"Watch it, mate," Bunnymund said, paws going to his boomerangs.

"But I can't change her back now! Not without..." The woman stopped.

"Without what?" Astrid prompted. 

"Nothing, nothing! Just a silly old woodcarver's senseless mumblings!"

"Look, I don't have time for this," Bunnymund said, plodding over and grabbing the woman by her collar. "Either you tell us what we need or I'll make you."

"Okay, okay! I'll make you a deal, just put me down!" 

Bunnymund placed the woman back on her feet and stepped back while she readjusted her clothes. Then she said, "If one of you can catch a wisp in the next twenty-four hours, I can change the queen back. A single second over that time limit and you leave me and my woodcarvings alone!"

"Okay, what is she talking about," Astrid demanded.

"She's a witch," Bunnymund explained, occasionally stopping to translate something Elinor 'said'. "She's the one who created the spell to turn the queen into a bear. Presumably, she can break the spell, too."

"But I can't!"

Elinor growled.

"Like I said," the witch continued, "bring me a wisp and I'll  _see_ what I can do. No promises!"

The bear snorted and turned around, knocking over more carvings on the way out and ignoring the distressed cry of "My cabbage dish!" from the witch. Astrid and Bunnymund stepped around the wood shavings and tried their best not to get splinters.

Once outside, Astrid sat down beside the house and closed her eyes. There was no way they were going to catch a wisp. She knew, somehow, that they weren't the type of creature that could be snared. 

Night approached, and still Bunnymund and Alinor searched. Astrid drifted off. She woke too soon--or so she thought, until she realized that dawn was breaking over the horizon, and her companions were sleeping in the middle of the clearing, Bunnymund twitching in his sleep.

Something tickled her hand. Astrid blinked her eyes rapidly to clear the sleep, but still didn't have the energy to function like a normal person; she rolled her head to the side instead of turning it. When she did, she snapped awake. A wisp floated inches from her fingers. Astrid turned her hand up, and the wisp descended to rest in her palm, curling into a tighter ball. Astrid cupped her other hand loosely over the creature and walked slowly, unsteady from the last vestiges of exhaustion, and, using her feet in lieu of her hands, nudged Bunnymund awake. 

"W-Wa? W'as goin' on?" Bunnymund shook his head as he woke up, disoriented for only a second. "What's the matter?"

"I caught one." Astrid had to say it again, just to convince herself that it was true. "I caught a wisp!"

"You're kidding!"

"No, I've really got one!" Astrid held up her hands. A faint blue shone through her fingers. "We have to go talk to the witch."

Astrid didn't bother to knock this time. The witch looked up from a carving and said, "Twenty-four hours, dear, there's still plenty of time."

"We won't be needing it, thank you very much," Astrid said. She opened her hands and let the wisp hover in place.

The witch gasped and shuffled closer. "It can't be..." She peered closely at Astrid's face, almost uncomfortably close. "I haven't seen a Wisperer in years...how...extraordinary!"

"A whisperer?" Bunnymund asked.

"Wisperer. No 'h'. It means the wisps are drawn to her, and she can communicate...to a degree, and with practice. I came up with the term myself." The witch looked very proud. "It's a very rare and powerful gift."

"There aren't any wisps on Berk," Astrid said.

"There are wisps everywhere, dear, but not all wisps look the same. Ours aren't as shy. Now, follow me." The witch ushered everyone outside and closed the door. She walked a few paces away, snapped her fingers, and turned back. When she opened the door again, a completely different room had replaced the workshop. 

"Rabbit, be a dear. Help an old witch carry her cauldron."

Once the cauldron  was in position outside, the witch made everyone stand back. She positioned herself on the other side of the cauldron from the sleeping queen. "Girl, come stand by me. I need your help."

When Astrid compliedm the witch guided the hand holding the wisp over the cauldron. It was full of water, to which the witch added herbs and other strange concoctions before explaining, "This spell will temporarily accelerate your ability with the wisps. You need to use them to speed up fate."

"How?"

"The queen was always destined to become a human again. Things have changed, though, and with your powers we can right it. You can awaken the potential of the wisps, as manipulators, not guides, of fate."

The witch began to chant in a sing-song voice, bouncing around and adding ingredients seemingly at random. Astrid looked at the wisp in her hand. It seemed to look back. She really hoped she wasn't going to have to put it in the cauldron.

Then, more and more wisps blinked into existence around the first, highlighting Astrid's face in an eerie, yet, soothing, way. They surrounded her, murmuring, curious. Astrid closed her eyes and let the noise fill her, emptying her mind. 

_What do you desire, friend?_ The wisps didn't have voices, yet Astrid was sure she heard a small, quiet, high-pitched sound in her brain. Breathy.

Astrid barely formed the thought before she felt the wisps move away. Her eyes opened, already feeling the abscence of the creatures, but one wisp remained, the first, still floating in her hand. The others covered the bear, creating a blue, glowing ursine shape. Steadily, the form changed, becoming smaller, more human. Still, Elinor did not wake. By the time the wisps had blinked out, a beautiful, elegant woman lay naked on the ground, curled carefully into a ball with her dark hair cascading around her thighs and chest like a blanket. The only indications that she was older than Astrid were the gray hairs and slight wrinkles. It wasn't hard to imagine this woman in fancy gowns, seated on a throne with a crown atop her head, ruling the land. Even sleeping, she held a hidden power, a force that drew people to her and made them want to please her. 

"Should we wake her up?" Astrid asked. She nudged Bunnymund when he didn't respond, and he jumped. 

"I don't know...we should try to find clothes for her, shouldn't we?"

"There are probably some at the castle. Why don't you go there? I'll keep the queen safe."

"But--"

"Just do it. I'll be fine!"

Reluctantly, Bunnymund nodded and bounded off into the forest. The witch tried to slink away, but Astrid grabbed her. "You're staying with me. We're not done here."

"I did what you asked!"

"I think the queen might want a few words with you. And I still need answers."

_**~Jack~**  _

In the morning, while Hiccup was packing the blankets back onto Toothless, Jack put a hand on his shoulder and asked, for the third time, "Feeling better?"

Hiccup nodded, but Jack's worries didn't clear up. Hiccup had been a complete wreck when he'd come to, after passing out the night they left to find Merida; Jack suspected that Hiccup's definition of 'fine' was slightly different from the norm.

"Come on, Jack! We need to get going!" Rapunzel called out. 

"You girls go ahead! I'll help Hiccup with the packing!" Jack waved Rapunzel on and turned back to Hiccup. "If you need a rest, let us know. Or ride Toothless if you want." Jack tried to pat the dragon, but received only a threatening growl; Toothless still hadn't warmed up to the Guardian of Fun. Jack resisted the urge to engage in another staredown with Toothless, but he kept his mind clear enough to make a mental note to keep an eye on Hiccup.

_**~Astrid~** _

Bunnymund finally returned with a blue dress for Elinor. Astrid roused the queen gently, and the woman quickly grabbed the clothing and dressed behind a tree. Her hair was swept out of her face, but she kept tossing it back, as if used to having it restrained by braids or something similar. 

Bunnymund knelt down in a bow, and Astrid followed his lead a moment after. Part of her laughed: a viking bowing to the Queen of the Scots? But Astrid couldn't resist.

"Oh, don't bother with formalities. I'm not sure how to thank you for your help." Astrid suspected that Elinor was dropping the queenly demeanor she had so stubbornly clung to as a bear. Apparently, there were two sides to this woman.

Astrid looked closely at Elinor. If she hadn't known the woman to be Merida's mother, she would never have made the connection. Now she could see the face shape and nose of the daughter in the features of the mother, but Astrid had been expecting the wild, fiery hair and blue eyes.

Out of the corner of her eye, Astrid again noticed the witch sidling off towards the cottage.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Bunnymund grabbed the back of the woman's collar and lifted her off the ground. "We're not through with you."

"I did what she asked," the witch spat.

"I need information," Elinor said. She stepped closer. "What has happened to the castle? Why is everyone asleep?"  With this, Astrid knew that the queen had seen the castle. 

"It was a harmless trick!" the witch insisted. "Who knows what would happen if the people went wandering? All those potential customers! I did it to keep them safe, that's all."

" _You_ put the kingdom to sleep?"

The witch nodded vigorously. "And the other lordships!"

"How do we reverse it?" Elinor asked.

"You don't! They'll stay that way until the danger passes!"

"Who knows when--"

The witch snapped her fingers and disappeared. The last wisp floated up to Astrid's shoulder and curled up. Soon, miniscule snores reached the viking girl's ears. She smiled.

Bunnymund whipped around, ready to spring into the house, but the door was no longer there. In fact, the entire clearing had vanished just like the witch. Instead, they were back in the stone circle, as if they'd never left.

Astrid reached up and touched the wisp. It was still there, so it couldn't have been a dream.

_**~Pitch~**  _

Mor'du slammed a hand against the wall, dislodging a few stones. Pitch's expression remained unchanged.

"If Elinor is walking around, we haven't got a chance! The woman is a force all her own! Let me kill her. Or at least let me do something about it!"

"She won't pose a problem. She's trapped on an island with only a stranded rabbit and girl to help her."

"The girl can manipulate the wisps. She can control fate itself."

Pitch swore. He'd left the orbs for half an hour, tired of watching the children stumble around, and now this.

"It seems I'll be paying Miss Hofferson a visit soon."

"Let me kill her. This waiting is torture!"

"How often must I say it? Patience!"

"Patient men are dead men!"

"Patient men," Pitch countered, "are successful men. Try to remember that I made you what you are now. If I hadn't found Gothel--if I hadn't reminded her of her potential--you would still be wandering the Scottish Highlands as a bear."

Mor'du growled menacingly, but he left the room, and Pitch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told you Astrid would be important. I just really like her, okay?
> 
> Why can't I write Bunnymund well...  
> Why can't I write the witch like I want to...  
> GAH!


End file.
